Motorsport: Lotus quickest in final F1 test

Kimi Raikkonen during Formula One pre-season testing in the new Lotus. Photo / Supplied

Lotus and former world champion Kimi Raikkonen have upset the established Formula One order in the final day's pre-season testing before the Australian Grand Prix on March 18.

The Flying Finn not only recorded the fastest time of the day in his Lotus E20, but also set the fastest time during the entire two-week pre-season test session at Spanish Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona.

"We'll have to see what happens in Melbourne in a couple of weeks' time but I'm feeling positive," said Raikkonen, who won the Australian Grand Prix in 2007.
"I was happy with today's running. We didn't have any major issues so it was certainly better than yesterday. Everything worked, we tried a lot of set-ups on the car and it all came together well.

"It was a long time in the car today but I feel fine. It was cooler so the tyres didn't work as well as otherwise but everything was okay. Of course, the fastest time at the end of the day looks good but no one will know how fast any of the cars are until we get to qualifying at Albert Park!"

Speed is nothing without reliability, so not only was Raikkonen's 1 min 22.030 secs lap the fastest set over the two weeks testing at the 4.7 km circuit, it is also significant that he completed the greatest distance, with 121 laps.

"We are in good shape heading to Melbourne," says Alan Permane, Lotus F1 Trackside Operations Director.

"We've completed two race distances and the Lotus E20 has proved reliable, easy to set-up and predictable in its handling with both drivers reporting they are happy.

"We've had a good, productive day to conclude our pre-season test programme. After the interruptions of yesterday we made some set-up changes overnight which immediately made Kimi feel more comfortable in the car as the balance was much more to his liking. We then spent the rest of the morning running on medium and then soft tyres, steadily improving the car."

Raikkonen took a three-year break from Formula One to pursue his passion for rallying.

The 32-year-old took pole position and set the fastest lap in the 2007 Australian GP. In 2002 he finished third and was third again in 2003, second in 2006, and eighth in 2008.

Meanwhile, the Lotus International Rally team is set to make its race debut in April in the FIA European Rally Championship.

In partnership with Italian team United Business, which won the title last year, the hotly anticipated Exige R-GT will be painted in the iconic Lotus black and gold.

Former Portuguese champion and Super 2000 World Rally Championship (SWRC) driver Bernardo Sousa is in-line to race the car at the Rally 1000 Miglia in Brescia, Italy, on April, 19-21, provided the car is ready.

The Exige R-GT is undergoing its final testing before being submitted to the FIA for homologation. Ten cars will be built this year, with seven cars allocated to the official team and European racing drivers.

Claudio Berro, director of Lotus Racing, started his career rallying and is thrilled to be back.

"This will be the first GT car to be homologated by the FIA. Lotus, of course, has been successful in rallying before, winning the 1981 World Rally Championship with the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus. So in many ways we're all going back to our roots.

"Partnering with the United Business Rally Team in the FIA European Rally Championship makes perfect sense because they, like us, know how to win. I think this is going to be a very strong collaboration. The championship largely takes place on tarmac, which suits us too. It's another big challenge for Lotus."