The Spanish GP has always been the scene of major car developments by all the teams and this year its not going to be any different. Top teams have already confirmed new updates and also introducing a new package will be new comers Lotus F1.
"We are hoping for a time saving of more than a second (per lap)," Heikki Kovalainen told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.
The Finnish driver also recognises that other teams will be quicker too, "but we might have more room (for improvement) than our competitors," added Kovalainen, referring to the car's conservative cooling solution, the basic double diffuser and the steel suspension uprights fielded so far this season.
Among F1's three new teams, the pace of the Lotus and Virgin cars has been close so far. Virgin is also planning an upgrade for Barcelona, including its famous bigger fuel tank.
Said Lotus' technical boss Mike Gascoyne: "The Barcelona package has been in the wind tunnel for six months." The rear is narrower, the sidepod entries more extreme, the wheelbase longer.
"It will be at least a second faster," he confirmed.
Team boss Tony Fernandes said he is pushing Lotus to set high targets.
"You've got to benchmark yourself against the best, otherwise don't bother being in it," he told local Malaysian newspaper The Star.
Source: GMM
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