Lotus optimistic that tried new parts are effective

F1 Test, Silverstone, Silverstone Circuit

Nico Prost completed his second day of testing in the Lotus E21 as the third fastest driver to conclude the 2013 Silverstone Young Driver Test. Completing 83 laps, Nico ran through a programme of setup work and aerodynamic assessments, in addition to evaluating a new exhaust.

Nico Prost: “It was a really good day for me. We focused on some more performance orientated work in the morning – which is always enjoyable to do – and especially beneficial after spending yesterday in the simulator in terms of correlation. I feel that I’m improving each time I get in the car. Obviously, it’s very fast so it takes some time to get used to it, but I feel I’ve definitely made good progress. It was clear that the team made some improvements with Davide [Valsecchi] in the car yesterday so I think it’s been a very productive and worthwhile test for the team. Overall, it’s been a fantastic week for me.”

Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: “Today proved to be a good conclusion to a productive three days at Silverstone. Nico continued the assessment programme he started on Wednesday and we made further positive steps forwards. We worked more on setup to get the car to Nico’s liking, thereby enabling him to push harder through the day. We ran new aerodynamic parts designed to help extract the maximum performance from the tyres, and it was with these that Nico set his fastest lap time, which is certainly a positive sign. We also assessed a new exhaust in the afternoon which looks to be beneficial. Now it’s time to analyse all the data to determine which parts we intend to use in Budapest.”