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Back in 2012, the Renault team was re-branded as Lotus F1 team and since then, they have consistently improved to the top of the grid. They couldn’t have had a better start after bringing back Formula 1′s star driver Kimi Raikkonen, who returned to the sport after a 2 year hiatus.
With the pairing of Raikkonen and Grosjean, the team impressed everybody with their pace and were right up there in every race. They took their first double podium in their 4th race before claiming their first victory at Abu Dhabi last year. After an explosive start to the 2013 season, the team has disappointed after being considered title challengers.
With Kimi set to join Ferrari, what next for the team who have the potential to win races and challenge the front runners? After all, good machinery is nothing without a good driver, so lets take a look at their options for next year:
Nico, Grosjean or Massa? Lotus F1 team evaluate their options.
The French driver has been all over the place in the last two years. He has been right up there showing amazing pace, but then criticised for his erratic driving. He has been on the podium 5 times but his crazy start at Spa in 2012 gave him a one race ban. He has a lot of potential but he needs to put it all together and give the team good results if he wants to lead the team next year. In comparison to Kimi Raikkonen, the Frenchman has been somewhat diminished but has been able to match the Finn’s pace on certain occasions. It is almost certain that he will stick with the team next year, but he needs to show better results if he wants to sign the contract before someone else takes the seat.
Nico Hulkenburg
The young German has impressed everybody with his recent performance in Monza. Most importantly, his potential employer and Lotus Team Boss Eric Boullier, who has admitted that if they are unable to retain Kimi, then Nico is right up there to take the second seat. The Sauber driver is surely going to leave the Swiss team after a fall out earlier this year. Nico switched from Force India to Sauber for 2013 and will be regretting his decision after looking at their performance. The next few races will be important for the young German’s future. Lotus will be a big jump forward from where he is and will surely take him a long way.
With Raikkonen joining Ferrari, it is the Brazilian who will make way for the Finn. After receiving a lot of flak at Ferrari, Massa will look to revive his career if he gets the Lotus seat. His experience will help the team move further and also help him improve his abilities rather than being the second driver again. Massa is the right candidate if the team wants experience.
A surprise over here could be the return of Heikki Kovalainen. A Finn replacing another Finn? Possible! It’s Formula One after all.
Will Lotus choose two young drivers to take their team forward or will they bring a more experienced Massa to lead the team? The answer will be revealed in the coming weeks.
