Although it's no longer Colin Chapman's original team, Gerard Lopez's Lotus F1 Team scored a victory this year in Formula 1, 25 years after Ayrton Senna won the U.S. Grand Prix in Detroit in 1987.
The near-fatal rally accident of their star driver, Robert Kubica, prior to the start of the 2011 season turned out to be a real disaster for the team led by Frenchman, Eric Boullier. The team needed a genuine leader and eventually found one in rally refugee, Kimi Raikkonen. The 2007 F1 World Champion adapted very well to his new home and proved to be a great source of motivation despite his reluctance to talk.
The team name was officially changed from Renault to Lotus for this year. Lotus finished the season in fourth place in the Constructor's championship with 303 points.
Kimi Raikkonen
3rd in the Driver's Championship with 207 points
Best place in qualifications: 2nd (once, Belgium)
Best race result: 1st (once, Abu Dhabi), 7 podiums
Never retired (scored points in 19 races)
Romain Grosjean
8th in the Driver's Championship with 96 points
Best place in qualifications: 2nd (once, Hungary)
Best race result: 2nd (once, Canada), 3 podiums
Retired 7 times
The Renault-powered Lotus E20 was a brillant race car, but a not-so-good qualifier. It seems the Lotus had difficulties getting its tires up to the correct temperature during the qualifying effort. But on a full tank in race trim, it was a totally different story and the car was really fast and consistent
Kimi Raikkonen finished five times on the podium -- including three second-place finishes -- in the opening 11 Grands Prix. However, a win remained elusive until the 18th round in Abu Dhabi. Despite having been away from F1 for two full years, Raikkonen was brilliantly consistent.
The Finn scored points in 19 races out of 20 (China was his only off), and earned thousands of new fans when he told his team on the radio, “Leave me alone. I know what to do,” when he was en route to victory in Abu Dhabi, demonstrating his (very) strong character.
Romain Grosjean made his return to F1 after clinching the GP2 series' title. Inexperience showed in an erratic early form, but he then scored three impressive podiums. The second half of the season was characterised by a number of high-profile accidents, including one at Spa that earned him a one-race ban, but he managed to retain his seat for 2013.
Grosjean scored 76 points in the opening 12 races of the season, then got his race ban and drove very carefully afterwards, collecting just 20 points in the final seven races.
The near-fatal rally accident of their star driver, Robert Kubica, prior to the start of the 2011 season turned out to be a real disaster for the team led by Frenchman, Eric Boullier. The team needed a genuine leader and eventually found one in rally refugee, Kimi Raikkonen. The 2007 F1 World Champion adapted very well to his new home and proved to be a great source of motivation despite his reluctance to talk.
The team name was officially changed from Renault to Lotus for this year. Lotus finished the season in fourth place in the Constructor's championship with 303 points.
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| Photo: Lotus F1 Team |
Kimi Raikkonen
3rd in the Driver's Championship with 207 points
Best place in qualifications: 2nd (once, Belgium)
Best race result: 1st (once, Abu Dhabi), 7 podiums
Never retired (scored points in 19 races)
Romain Grosjean
8th in the Driver's Championship with 96 points
Best place in qualifications: 2nd (once, Hungary)
Best race result: 2nd (once, Canada), 3 podiums
Retired 7 times
The Renault-powered Lotus E20 was a brillant race car, but a not-so-good qualifier. It seems the Lotus had difficulties getting its tires up to the correct temperature during the qualifying effort. But on a full tank in race trim, it was a totally different story and the car was really fast and consistent
Kimi Raikkonen finished five times on the podium -- including three second-place finishes -- in the opening 11 Grands Prix. However, a win remained elusive until the 18th round in Abu Dhabi. Despite having been away from F1 for two full years, Raikkonen was brilliantly consistent.
The Finn scored points in 19 races out of 20 (China was his only off), and earned thousands of new fans when he told his team on the radio, “Leave me alone. I know what to do,” when he was en route to victory in Abu Dhabi, demonstrating his (very) strong character.
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| Kimi Raikkonen won at Abu Dhabi ahead of Fernando Alonso (Ferrari). (Photo: WRi2) |
Romain Grosjean made his return to F1 after clinching the GP2 series' title. Inexperience showed in an erratic early form, but he then scored three impressive podiums. The second half of the season was characterised by a number of high-profile accidents, including one at Spa that earned him a one-race ban, but he managed to retain his seat for 2013.
Grosjean scored 76 points in the opening 12 races of the season, then got his race ban and drove very carefully afterwards, collecting just 20 points in the final seven races.