Lotus Barcelona Test, Day 3
With scheduled driver Kimi Rikknen sidelined through illness, Davide Valsecchi and Romain Grosjean both took turns in the E21 for todays test at the Circuit de Catalunya.
Vastly improved weather on day three in Barcelona meant that Davide made his E21 debut on a dry track, completing 16 laps of familiarisation and exhaust / aero assessments to set the eleventh quickest time of the day.
After a brief stop-over in Paris, Romain returned to take over for the afternoon; completing 46 laps and ending the day with the tenth fastest time.
Fast Facts:Track: Barcelona, Spain, 5.9kmChassis: E21-02Weather: Sunny, dry, ambient 9-17C, track 11-24CProgramme: System checks, temperature monitoring, data correlation, assessment of the performance of the car with its initial aerodynamic package, new rear suspension set-up evaluation, new rear wing evaluation, driver orientation. Laps Completed: Romain: 46. Davide: 16. Total: 62Classification: Romain: P10, 1:23.380. Davide: P11, 1:23.448Interruptions: Red flags, altering car set-up for driver changes
Whats Next?
Provided he is fit to return to the cockpit, Kimi will take the wheel tomorrow for the final day of pre-season testing.
Davide Valsecchi: This morning was quite a rush to get everything ready as the call only came late, but the team were fantastic getting the car prepared for me. I only completed short runs today so I have a limited impression of the E21, however its clear that its a very good racing car. For me to be able to get immediately on the pace means that the car is certainly fast and competitive. It was a fantastic opportunity; I sat in the seat of a former World Champion so I knew that Id be fast for sure.
Romain Grosjean: I certainly didnt expect to be in the E21 again today so it was an interruption to a day off, but as interruptions go it was a pretty good one! The weather was definitely an improvement from what Ive experienced so far and I was able to assess the new rear front wings; both of which feel improved over the initial versions. We ran with high fuel today so it wasnt about lap times in the afternoon, but its all valuable data were getting for the car. I hope that Kimi is feeling better for tomorrow, but I dont mind driving again if I have to.
Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: Obviously, our day was rather compromised because of Kimi being ill. We changed the car for Davide to gain valuable experience in the morning, then changed it over lunchtime to Romains settings. Despite the disrupted running, we still completed a Grand Prix distance worth of laps and were able to put valuable miles on our latest rear wing concept as well as evaluating a new front wing. Both look to be a step in the right direction so its likely well use them in Australia. Davide did a great job at short notice and we know we can rely on him if hes called upon again. If Kimi is well enough tomorrow, we will run him in the car, otherwise it will be Romain in action once more.
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