Grosjean not convinced by the new regulations

Lotus F1 Team was unable to shine at the Australian Grand Prix, the development of the E22 having notably fallen behind other teams. Nevertheless, Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado were able to cover several laps in Melbourne in order to collect data and get a first impression of the new single-seater race driving before retiring due to a problem with the MGU-K. The French driver does not really seem convinced by the limits of the new regulations. “It’s not as nice as it used to be. We have to manage and optimize the energy available. We can no longer ride at 90% in a Grand Prix like in the past, we are only at 30% at certain times. You just have to get used to it. We love it when we win and we don't like it when we give up. It's a little frustrating at the moment but there are rules and you have to do the best you can with them. »

Romain Grosjean hopes that the Malaysian Grand Prix next weekend will offer him a more classic event by benefiting in particular from more time on the track. “The first challenge in Malaysia will be to endure the heat, humidity and heavy downpours at 16 p.m. The race in Melbourne was a good, long test session. It wasn't easy for the team, but I'm happy to have been able to do many laps in the race. We were thus able to collect a lot of data and we will be able to progress by using it. The goal is to now have a worry-free weekend at Sepang by following our program during free practice and then reaping the benefits in qualifying and the race. Sepang is one of my favorite circuits. »

The former GP2 Series champion remains cautious about the development potential of the Lotus E22 before next week. The spearhead ofenstone is aware that part of optimizing the reliability of its mount comes down to Renault F1 Sports. “We are satisfied with the chassis, the aero balance with the different fuel levels, the traction of the engine and its consumption level. There is obviously still progress to be made in energy management and we know that Renault Sport F1 will meet our expectations. For our part, we are more informed about the settings and the direction to take to make the car better. For example, the braking was not perfect, but that also has to do with the tires. The new rubbers are really hard and their characteristics have changed. We’re not getting the best out of it, but it will happen. We can operate in many sectors, but we have a solid base for Malaysia. »