Trulli: “We have little time”

Lotus revealed the T127 on Friday (see in gallery and video), car intended to compete in the world championship of Formula 1. If the whole team was proud to present the car, developed in five months, making it competitive will be a completely different job. Jarno Trulli, former pilot Toyota, is well aware of this. “ Seeing the finished car is a great accomplishment from a technical point of view, the Italian pilot is satisfied. Now the next step is to try to discover and resolve problems as quickly as possible, on track. »

With this objective, Jarno Trulli, 35, recognizes that he will have his share of work, having driven for more than ten years in Formula 1. “ My role is to give the right direction as quickly and as well as possible, because we have very little time, and the budget is not unlimited for an F1 team these days. So I think an experienced driver has a very important role. »

So, to test its car, Lotus will travel to Jerez (February 17-20) then to Barcelona (February 25-28) for pre-season collective testing. “ Then we will go to Bahrain and we will try to finish with both our cars at the finish, continues Trulli. Today I really can't say where we are going, because I don't know anything about the performance level of the car. But our first goal must be to finish the races. »

If Lotus will have to test its competitiveness in many areas, aerodynamics is undoubtedly the sector which allows the best potential for performance gains. Jarno Trulli knows that Lotus will have to focus on this sector throughout the season. “ Our other big step will be to take a step forward in terms of aerodynamics, with developments which will undoubtedly arrive in Barcelona, ​​then others five or six races later. »

Lotus is one of the teams entering Formula 1 but the native of Abruzzo hopes that the work of Mike Gascoyne's teams will allow the team to not spend the year at the back of the pack. And even hopes to enter the top 10. “ If, at the end of the season, we are fighting in the middle of the grid, it will be great. Of course, we are competitors and dream of our first point. This first point will be a great emotion for everyone. It will only be one point, but everyone will appreciate it. So I think we have to take things step by step. I know I have to be patient. It's a long-term project, like my contract, so what I have to do is help build the team, as I have already done, and make it stronger. »