F1 Treasures XII

Today I went to a few second hand stores and found a Mika Häkkinen book. I actually have this as an "audio book" on CD but this real book cost me only 1 euro so why not?

The book is about Mika's life after F1 and that he almost returned to the sport. I like the book.

Then I found a Formula One car for my son... OK! it was for me!

Then I got some more Lotus deodorant from Lidl and they were 2,50 each.

That's it for today. I will check out more flea markets and second hand stores this week for more F1 stuff. I'll get back to you guys tomorrow!

Comparing the 2015 teammates: Lotus

Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado side by side and head to head again. Some say it will be a disaster and some say that these two guys can bring a lot of points to Lotus in 2015. Personally I think that Grosjean will be better than his teammate even though Maldonado is a race winner.

Let's begin comparing! I'll start with Romain Grosjean. First I will write the year and then the teammate and how it went.

2009 - Fernando Alonso. Grosjean replaced Nelson Piquet Jr. because Flavio Briatore wasn't satisfied with his results. Grosjean on the other hand didn't do that much better. He had even worse results and didn't get a seat for 2010. Alonso won him in every race he finished.

2012 - Kimi Räikkönen. Grosjean got a second chance and was now better than in 2009. He had just won the GP2 series and was hungry for good results. But unfortunately for Grosjean's sake Kimi Räikkönen mopped the floor with him. Grosjean got 96 points and Räikkönen 207. Over twice the amount more than Grosjean. Only Alonso and Räikkönen got twice as much as their teammates in 2012. Was it because they were so good or because their teammates were just that bad? You be the judge.

2013 - Kimi Räikkönen and Heikki Kovalainen. Kovalainen drove in two races but it was pretty clear that he was a bit rusty or he had very bad luck. Grosjean won Kovalainen in the first race but in the second he retired. Räikkönen on the other hand won Grosjean in 11 races and would have won more but retired twice and didn't race in the last two races. Even though Räikkönen was again better it didn't mean that Grosjean had a bad season. Compared to 2012 it was a great year and he got better all the time. I wish him well and good luck.

2014 - Pastor Maldonado. I will compare these two when I have gone through Maldonado's teammates.

Then Pastor Maldonado...

2011 - Rubens Barrichello. Maldonado lost because he got 1 point and Barrichello got 4. Not a good year for Williams.

2012 - Bruno Senna. The only time that Maldonado actually was better than his teammate. He even won a race for Williams so 2012 was much better for them.

2013 - Valtteri Bottas. 2011 all over again but this time he lost to a rookie. 4 points to Bottas and only 1 to Maldonado. He stated to the media that even though he lost to Bottas it was his best season ever. He made it very clear that Bottas is not a regular rookie but a professional with just a little experience.

2014 - Romain Grosjean. Maldonado lost to his teammate 8-2 in points and we could also see clearly that Grosjean is nowadays a pretty good driver. Maldonado on the other hand is driving like an amateur. I don't know what has happened to him but he used to be much better. I am pretty sure that Grosjean will be better than Maldonado in 2015.

If you have any questions about the 2015 season's teammates or anything else then sen me a message to f14lifeblog@gmail.com or comment.

Lotus promise substantial changes for 2015 car

Lotus's technical director Nick Chester says the team's 2015 Formula One car will feature significant changes compared to the current E22, which has underwhelmed and left the team struggling for points in 2014.

Lotus have endured reliability and performance issues with the Renault-powered E22, and the Enstone-based squad have only broken into the top ten on two occasions - in Spain and Monaco - over the opening 14 Grands Prix of the season.

"There are rule changes to the front of the chassis and the nose, so all the cars will look different next year," Chester said of next year's car, the power unit supplier of which has yet to be announced.

"On top of that, our engine installation and cooling layout will change quite a lot meaning that the car will be significantly different under the bodywork. It will be quite different."

Pastor Maldonado, who joined the team ahead of the 2014 campaign, said he has been encouraged by early signs of progress with next year's car.

"I am confident we can finish the season off in a good way which will give us some great momentum for the new season in 2015," he said.

"From what I see and learn the 2015 car looks like being a very good package. There is a lot to look forward to for sure.

"Obviously it has been a difficult year but the important thing is that we are still united as a team and emerge stronger. The team at Enstone are more determined than ever to succeed and I can say 100 percent that I have the same outlook."

Lotus chairman Gerard Lopez told Formula1.com in a recent interview that he is confident fixes will be made ahead of the 2015 season, saying that a "design mistake" had contributed to the team's plight this year.

Lotus lie eighth in the 2014 constructors' championship with eight points - six ahead of Marussia and 19 behind Toro Rosso. At this stage in 2013 they were fourth overall, and had claimed one victory and 11 podiums over the season’s first 14 races.

(source: f1.com)

Lotus drivers back changes to Monza’s Parabolica

Lotus’s Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado have welcomed the decision to replace the gravel run-off area at Monza’s Parabolica corner with asphalt ahead of next weekend’s Formula 1 Gran Premio d'Italia 2014.

“Parabolica is a very challenging and quick corner so from a safety point of view it is a good thing to have some more margin for the drivers,” said Grosjean. 

“I remember sometimes in the past coming into the corner and knowing that if you brake even a little bit too late then you could be straight in the gravel and then straight to the wall at high speed. 

“I think that now what you will see is the drivers finding the limits sooner, because we know there will not be the big gravel and crash penalty like previously.”

Team mate Maldonado, meanwhile, does not expect the switch to asphalt run-off to change the way the drivers approach the corner, insisting the right-hander will remain the most critical bend on the circuit.

“You have to get this right at the end of your lap to ensure a good time, and if you get it wrong it also compromises you for the next lap,” he said. “It’s difficult to do this as the car is set-up for low downforce on the straights, so it’s more difficult to drive on the corners - especially a long corner like Parabolica, which is tough and fast, the most crucial at Monza.

“I don’t think [the decision to replace the gravel with asphalt] will make too much difference really. The approach will be the same which is to take it as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

“Of course there is the obvious safety element which means that you have less risk if you go off. I think this is good from a safety point of view because it is a quick corner with not that much room on the outside.”

(source: f1.com)

Lotus hoping to retain Grosjean beyond 2014

Lotus say that driver Romain Grosjean remains very much in their plans for next season, even though they were unable to confirm his 2015 seat when team mate Pastor Maldonado’s was announced last weekend.

Grosjean made six podium appearances for Lotus last season, but the team’s disappointing 2014 form - the Frenchman has scored just eight points so far - has led to speculation that he could be lured elsewhere - something Lotus are keen to avoid. 

“Romain has been part of the Lotus F1 Team family for many years, even since his GP2 days,” said deputy team principal Federico Gastaldi. “Let’s be honest, Romain as a top, top driver is not happy with the 2014 season and this is mirrored by everyone at the team of course.

“We cannot confirm anything just yet as the timing will be right when we are both comfortable to announce something. All I can say is that it’s certainly the intention for Romain to stay at Enstone and continue what has been a great partnership and working relationship.”

Commenting on the extension to Maldonado’s contract, Gastaldi said: “It’s a renewal of vows after a tough honeymoon if you like. Myself and [team principal] Gerard Lopez spent a lot of time with Pastor in Hockenheim, where we sat down and discussed the future which was all very positive.

“Pastor is very much part of the future at Enstone and it was a matter of routine for both parties to confirm that he has a multi-year deal and will be in one of our cockpits next season.”

With 10 of the season’s 19 races complete, the Renault-powered Lotus squad lie eighth in the constructors’ championship on eight points, six ahead of Marussia and seven behind Toro Rosso.

(source: f1.com)

Lotus hoping for "good step" from Hockenheim updates

Lotus technical director Nick Chester says the team are hopeful that a raft of upgrades to the E22 will significantly boost performance at Hockenheim next weekend.

The Enstone-based team have narrowly missed out on cracking the top ten across the last three Grands Prix, meaning Romain Grosjean's eighth-place finishes in Barcelona and Monaco remain the only occasions when they have scored points so far this season.

Chester however says a number of upgrades, coupled with what they were able to learn during the two-day Silverstone test, could lift Lotus in Germany.

"Our development schedule is continuing at full pace," Chester explained. "We will have a new front wing, which is a decent improvement, a cooling upgrade and some smaller bodywork updates to increase downforce. 

"Between what we have learnt in the Silverstone test and these upgrades, we hope to make a good step forward."

Asked whether Hockenheim will suit the E22, Chester added: "It's quite a mixed track with a couple of long straights and a medium-speed final section. Two of the straights are also linked by a medium to high-speed corner, which is good for us, as is having soft and supersoft tyres for this circuit."

Grosjean meanwhile said next weekend's race will be an examination of just how far Lotus have improved since the start of the season.

"We've worked hard to improve performance in the low-speed corners, so Hockenheim will be a good test of how much we've progressed," he said. 

"Apart from the run down to the hairpin there are no real straights to speak about so power unit emphasis will be on acceleration rather than top speed. 

"The weather played a part in the Silverstone weekend, just as it did at Hockenheim in 2012, so we'll need to stay on our toes. I think as a team we have more to gain than lose from any weather changes so we should view them as an opportunity - the E22 seemed to like the damp conditions at Silverstone."

The Frenchman, who has only once started from higher than tenth in 2014, said that Lotus must also address their performances on Saturday, adding: "We can't afford to give our rivals a head-start. A top ten grid place will be the first target for Hockenheim."

(source: f1.com)

Kimi Räikkönen tested a GP3 car!

Lotus F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen tested on Friday, a GP3 car in Barcelona.

Raikkonen offered his know-how as a favor to the Finnish Koiranen GP team.

- I wanted to test the GP3/13 car because my friend Afa Heikkinen has a team in this series, and I am closely following their progress and results since the beginning of the season. I was interested to see how the car behaves, and it was fun to drive. The behavior of the car had a few problems, but we were able to solve most of them. GP3/13 is a very good tool for young drivers, especially when you need to learn how to care for the tires, just like in Formula One, Raikkonen commented on the GP3 Series website.

Raikkonen drove on the Circuit de Catalunya on Friday, a total of 58 laps and 270 kilometers.

The GP3 Series and the tire manufacturer Pirelli's official test session examined the tires and how they behaved.

-Kimi's experience and the feedback was invaluable and helped us to understand better what you need to do to make the car work better for overtaking next season, the GP3 Series technical director Didier Perrin said.

-We want to thank Kimi for testing with us and Koiranen GP for making this possible.