Lopez: Lotus will be competitive next year

Lotus Chairman Gerard Lopez believes that 2015 will be a more positive season, after a disastrous 2014.

The team have identified the design flaw which has hampered their season, but are confident of rectifying that for next year.

Lotus has fallen from scoring 13 podiums and one win in 2013 to just eight points so far this year. But Lopez believes that they can return to winning races and scoring podiums, now that they have discovered the issue.

“It was the mistake with the chassis that got us where we are now, and we definitely don’t want to make this mistake again. I am not saying we will be fighting for the World Championship next year, but we should go back to where we’ve been the previous two years.”

Lotus is used to bouncing back after disappointing years, as they showed after 2011. A similar design risk back fired and they found themselves scrapping towards the back. Lopez says there are similarities.

“We’ve made a mistake. We’ve made one design mistake that we actually hoped would help us. We are in the same situation as three years ago when we did the ‘forward exhaust’ and had a terrible season. But it is good that we found out before we started to develop the next car.”

Romain Grosjean

It is expected, although not confirmed, that Lotus will change from their current Renault engines to Mercedes next year, after growing frustrated that Renault favour Red Bull.

Lopez also confirmed that he expects Romain Grosjean to join Pastor Maldonado in staying with the team next year, where the team will also have a new, permanent Team Principle. Lopez has been acting in the role since Eric Boullier left for McLaren in the winter.

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