Lotus Renault GP “into a new era”

The 2011 season begins in barely a month. What are your feelings at the dawn of this year?
We have many good reasons to be optimistic. Particularly because this team is entering a new era. 2010 will have been very useful. It made it possible to rebuild and prepare for the future, and at the same time, everyone put in considerable work on a daily basis which came to fruition on the track. Today, with the arrival of a long-term partner, Group Lotus, we have financial stability which allows us to build on solid foundations and envisage a very competitive future. It’s an exceptional motivation for everyone and it reinforces our belief that we can fight against the best. Over the last twelve months we have all worked hard to prepare for 2011. I am very proud of what has been achieved and can't wait to get the season underway.

The winter months, dedicated to the manufacturing of new cars, are often the busiest of the year. How did the factory manage the birth of the R31?
In fact, the F1 never stops. For the R31, work began even before the R30 had completed its first race. In 2010, we reached a very high development rate and the R30 which ended the season was running two seconds per lap faster than the one at the start. During the winter, this same approach to work continued, a testimony to the spirit and commitment of the members of this team. Yes, the load is heavy at this time of year, but if we keep our heads on our shoulders and make the most of the winter testing sessions, I am sure we will have a great start to the season.

Can the team maintain this high pace of development in 2011?
The program consists of maintaining exactly the same approach as last year, while our expectations are to attack the season at a higher level. This means we will have to be even more creative and explore new technical areas. But technological innovation is not the only key to performance. Over the past year, we have also reviewed all of our internal operations, without exception. And we can say today that we have increased our efficiency by 15%.

Your drivers remain the same in 2011. How important is this stability for the team?
Stability is important in any sector of the industry and particularly in the constantly moving and intensely competitive world of F1. The stability of our drivers is therefore a key element in returning our team to the highest level. It allows us to capitalize on the achievements of last year. The new management, drivers, engineers, mechanics spent a year working together and understanding each other better. Now is the time to reap the benefits of these bonds and this team spirit, which can only make us stronger.

At what level do you place Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov in 2011?
Our driver duo is a mix of talent, experience and youth. Robert is clearly one of our assets. We can rely on his speed, his commitment and his long-term involvement. As for Vitaly, he showed us at the end of last year that he understood what we expected of him in 2011 and that he wanted to be fully involved. With a year of experience, he will be able to approach the season with more confidence and will be ready to help the team raise its level. We took the risk by investing in him last year and I am sure we will see the benefits in 2011.

Can the team really take the next step and fight for victory this season?
We live for racing and our goal is to win. This is the heart of our philosophy. All the work done over the last twelve months had one goal, to obtain a big improvement for 2011. We should therefore be more competitive than last year. Will we be stronger than our adversaries? Difficult to predict, but the efforts of all Lotus members Renault GP deserve it.