Sebring, FL (February 1, 2012) - Lotus DRR driver
Oriol Servia completed two successful days of testing at Sebring
International Raceway in Sebring, Florida. The Spaniard got behind
the wheel of the Lotus-powered Dallara DW12 for the first time
Tuesday and again today as he participated in engine testing for
the Lotus test team.
This week marked the third in a series of tests conducted for
the Lotus test team, which is comprised of crew members from Lotus
DRR, HVM, and Bryan Herta Autosport. The goal for the test was to
check a few more boxes off of the "to do list" and continue further
engine developments as well as setup work, and that's exactly what
the Lotus test crew did. Servia completed 110 laps (183 miles)
yesterday and logged in a total of 135 laps (225 miles) around the
1.66 mile short road course. Unfortunately, today was a cut a
little bit short and the Lotus test crew wasn't able to get
everything in as planned. Fortunately, Servia was still able to get
track time in this morning as he recorded a total of 25 laps (42
miles) for today.
"It has been awesome to finally get a taste of the car for
ourselves after hearing comments on it from all of the other
drivers and teams," said Servia. "I really liked it. We were able
to get a good feel of the Lotus engine and the Dallara. The first
day we didn't get to do what we wanted because the engine got held
in customs and that didn't help. However, on the second day we did
lots of laps and we got a lot of data so we were able to do a
number of things with the engine and the car. We learned a lot,
which is what you want. For today, we got a lot of good laps in and
started to be more competitive on lap times. We are still far from
where we are going to be, but we are getting closer to the faster
guys and it's encouraging. We are definitely getting there. I am
very excited about this season for IndyCar, Lotus, and the Lotus
DRR team. Lotus has a solid package for us to work from. I am
encouraged by the progress that Lotus and the Lotus test teams of
Lotus DRR, Bryan Herta Autosport, and HVM Racing are making with
this car. I am looking forward to the season opener at St.
Petersburg."
Dennis Reinbold and Robbie Buhl, Lotus DRR team owners, were
both on hand for the test and were pleased with the progress and
results. "We had a good overall test. We got a lot of miles in and
made a number of changes on the car, which seemed to add some
speed. We are pretty happy with our progress and we think that we
are coming along very well. Oriol ran a lot of laps and just got
comfortable in the car. It was our first time working with him so
that was good, and we are really happy about the chemistry we are
building up with our engineering staff and Oriol. We had the
opportunity to work closely with Lotus and EDL and it all went
well. We are pleased with the way everyone worked together as Lotus
teams and with all of the progress that we made on the car,"
commented Reinbold.
"We definitely made a lot of progress and had a pretty
successful test. It was good for Oriol to get in the car and get a
sense of where it was going. Yesterday was a productive day and
went according to plan. We were able to put more miles on the motor
and make more chassis changes that helped to improve the car. For
us to not get a full day of running today wasn't a part of the plan
and it's unfortunate to miss that bit of mileage, but we will be
back on track shortly," stated Buhl.
Equally satisfied with the test results was Lotus IndyCar
Manager, Olivier Picquenot. "We definitely learned some things over
the two day test," he said. "We didn't get to complete the full
three days of testing but, overall, it was very positive because
Oriol did a very good job at trying to work on the setup as well as
the engine. We did a good 225 miles and, from a technical aspect on
behalf of Lotus and EDL, we are very pleased. Oriol was great to
work with and was very positive. Lap after lap he gave good
feedback and we are very happy."
Last week, Bryan Herta Autosport driver Alex Tagliani took to
the Homestead-Miami road course and HVM pilot Simona De Silvestro
completed the first test run two weeks ago at West Palm Beach and
at Sebring International Raceway. Both drivers recorded valuable
mileage and data for the collaborative group.
The next Lotus test will occur in a few weeks and will be at a
different track, which will allow Lotus and the Lotus test teams to
continue to develop the engine and the suspension of the car. The
first of the Lotus production engines are due to arrive soon and
the Lotus DRR team will be able to begin testing their car at the
end of the month in preparation to have a successful season opener
at St. Petersburg, FL on March 25th.