After launching the T128 back in January this year, Team Lotus COO Keith Saunt said: “A lot of people might say I’m too optimistic, but I’d like to think we’ll get between 40 and 50 points this year. I think we’re targeting eighth strategically, but I doubt there’ll be a lot between sixth, seventh and eighth. Depending on how the other guys are doing, seventh could be achievable.”
It must pain Mr Saunt every time he’s reminded of that statement, as we’re now at the half way point of the season, and Team Lotus still has not scored its first point in F1. Their best placing was 13th in Australia and Monaco, both courtesy of Jarno Trulli. Teammate Heikki Kovalainen now admits that they’ve aimed too high.
“I would say that our expectations were too high. Though we have closed the gap compared to last year, where we were five seconds behind, now we are 2.5-3s behind, so we have taken a lot of steps forward,” he told Autosport
“But now, looking into year two and into the midfield if you like, many teams are stuck there. The reason for this is because it is very, very tough – and at the moment we are still missing the facilities. We don’t have a good enough factory. I don’t think our wind tunnel is good enough.
“We have a lot of good people in the team but, at the moment, I don’t think you can judge them, because the tools that they have are not good enough yet.
“So we need to give the people better tools to actually show what everyone can do – including myself. I have no single doubts about my own ability and, at the moment, I am very happy about the situation and my position in Team Lotus,” the Finn added.
What’s your view on this?
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Limited funds and limited allowable testing…. you can only advance so far.
Everything is limited but the mouth is big ——> TF.
Team Owner –
Dreaming of replicating AirAsia success. In AirAsia – industry leader in Asia, in F1 far more better teams ahead
Team Manager – Big Fat Salary and never ending promise of the next better race always
Overall – TIME WASTERS
When they got CNN as sponsor, big hoohar… when CNN actually did not pay much to get their sticker on the car. More like they got it for FREE as the team needed recoqnition.
Now that CNN has pulled out only after 1 year, why so very quiet about it … shy shy ka ?
How far can you go when your monies from Sponsors are all from left hand right hand companies?
Toyota Honda gave up…. WAKE UP la … dont fool us and yourself anymore Tony
are you really sure that CNN has gone??
I think so too.
Look at Heiiki shirt … no CNN oledi , only all abang adik companies.
What giant conglomerate want to be linked to the bottom 3 team.
In a way, serve Tony right for doing what he did to Proton. Using the branding loophole to screw Proton
Tony the LOTUS BRAND STEALER !!! He had bad motives and intention when he approached Proton.
Now he is stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea – must proceed at all cost as too much ego and face at stake to pull out now. Especially he personally made all the promises of what “his” team can achieve with “teamwork and a dream” – etc etc etc
All yet to be made good
Right or not Tan Sri ? DUH !!!
Maybe you hate TF so much. I don’t care. But just don’t give people wrong information because of it. CNN is still there. Plus a few new big sponsors, namely DELL and GE.
Stupid!!!No CNN logo already??You should see this before you talk..
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150339272073465&set=a.10150339269728465.395930.292309963464&type=1&pid=9579323&id=292309963464
you get to move forward with confidence. but if you’re over-confidence, you’ll see yourself beaten every time.
Wow… almost justifies all the fuss P1 & Lotus Group went through to get out of this outfit.
CTO patut dipecat akibat kegagalan untuk membuat jentera yang mantap… itu je
when u look at another angle
it simply a case of people with big mouth
wanting to bite more than he could chew
otherwise if hes smart enough
he wont bother to state that ridiculous 40-50 points statement in the first place
my hatred towards tony is well documented.for a good reason.
and i could have link the 40-50 point man to him,
but knowing it is impossible for them to even get 10-20 points
i would rest my case
for now
your hatred towards Tony is well observed. Certainly not saying you shouldn’t. However it’s annoying because at times it borders on fanatism which clouds your rationale judgement. For instance, please provide the link to the story that mentioned Tony saying 40-50 points as the target. As far as I remember it was their senior operations head, Keith Saunt which was the one that gave that remark.
oh i got to agree 200% with u that it wasnt tony that the 40-50 points i was talking about
and also i got to agree another 200% with u that it was the team COO that i was talking about
come on man
this team doesnt really get it going
because after a year racing and now we are at half calendar and still pointless
they should have shake up the team
i dont know maybe put someone better in some certain positions
mike gascoyne, i am pretty sure hes a top guy and with vast experience and knowledge in whatever hes doing
but if that guy cant turn the team around, its time to shake (and bake. lolz) things up and see whether the new guy can work something
i know stability is one thing but even established teams such as williams have to change this and that when things not going their way
borderlined with fanatism maybe
because all i am cheering up for is the OTHER lotus with black n gold liveries
i know the team is actually the last renault team but heck it if it works then whats the problem?
but clouding my judgement? i doubt it
because i know for a fact that the ‘leaders of the newcomers’ are still… pointless.
You don’t have to ‘agree with me 200%’ but you are absolutely free (and encouraged) to ‘stick to the facts 100%’ as opposed to simply saying something regardless of accuracy to serve a personal agenda
Not to forget Tony is soooooo rich and travels the world like nothing whilst you sit in front of your PC and hate him, then wonder when you can afford a holiday to perhaps Melaka? Hate and get what la? Dun be pathetic ok. Hate hate hate … nonsense only.
yeah sure he is rich and all
but his richness isnt the point now
we are discussing about the 40-50 points and how his own driver thought it was unrealistically very high
if we are to follow ur logic man
u might as well stab urself and die
because theres nothing for u to live for
u proved that genitals works and intercourses do sometime produce child
and ah, dont worry, i can afford to go vacation to malacca
i bring u, FOC all, want? ;)
no one outside the group said 40-50points is achievable and they need some kind of magic to do that when they made the statement… but then, we also wanna see what can be done and see if somehow they managed to get the magic like how they make it in 2010 being the best new player…
but, after few first races I already see that Team Lotus should focus more on closing the gap rather than scoring points… however, if I were in the team I would already be happy to see where they are now… 2 Q2, beaten few other midfielders once… it’s more than what to be expected in 2nd year of the game…
Rome isn’t built in one day…
i think the 40-50 points referring to his Fantasy F1 game he plays online not the real F1
well, if i recall correctly, when alonso was partner with alex yoong years ago, alonso managed to compete and overtook other higher rank teams, if you are talented..pls do something
I don’t think its Alonso,but Mark Webber which got 2nd place in the australian gp.
Dear Sir Tony,
you wanna get points? Pour more money in.
talk less and race more…race like a mad men and you will get a point
it on the verge of a cliff… that guy going to cash out soon before it fall.
because his boss wanted some PR…and probably told is drivers and team directors to say to the media abt the ‘potential’ the car have….
Mike gascoyne Even running Toyota with state of the art facilities and uber massive gigantic budget the rusult is questionable…let alone running a team that budget is limite lagi la “GALGAL”
I never really admired Mike Gascoyne. This guy can only talk without showing results. Same goes to TF. Team Lotus won’t be going far with MG around :) It’s already been proven from Minardi & Toyota.
i dont think TF care…he do what he want …its like a game to him…for the fun of it….like us playing fantasy football and fantasy f1….bu he played with real people and real money…so wasting money or not….someone else money or not…he dont care…because he can…..he got nothing to lose
P1 & GL in other hand are desperate to move forward, they screw up badly in the past, and the mistake keep haunting them, and they still inherit some of the weakness with them unable to shake it off fully….Thus F1 the best platform….plus the super optimistic 5 years plan…it is like do or die kind of thing…failure in this , i am sure we will see the end of GL & Proton….but higher risk come with potential high dividend….i am sure, in their right mind, this the best thing to do….may not be what most people could agree…and perhaps why most if not all basher are not company CEO….:) However sadly Lotus Renault not doing well for now…despite the promising start….but the book did not end here…we are perhaps at page 10….hundred of pages more before completion of the adventure…..:)
Anyone of you a millionaire or billionaire? Buy this team while it’s still cheap. The foundation is there, only need to invest in wind tunnel. This is a lucrative business you know.
Hi Tony, my advise..get the hell out of F1 & find other mode for your advertisement.F1 racing is all about budget..Big spender come in first while small budget team ends up in the bottom pack.
I always like how Peter Sauber manage his team, less talk, less promo, but his team capable to score points..
TF, go get close with him, learn from him if you’re really a racing enthusiast.. if not, just stick to whatever your business plan, F1 maybe lucrative, but people wanna see result, not the money coming into your pocket, the money that goes out is more being concern especially when you cant deliver good result
Its not that they were too high, its that you had them in the first place….. LOL XD’!!!!
Just fire that mike. He is basically useless. Overcommit to Tony.
Talk is cheap … last year TL made No. 1 … WORST PAYMASTER in F1 for that season. :0)
They were 2nd or 3rd worst. Not THE worst..
F1 is waste of time & money !!! It just like throwing money into drain.
i think it’s time to push away Mike gascoyne and thinking about the 2012 car with another ingenieer.
what most people here that says TL is a failure for not able to score any points (or including HRT & Virgin) in their 2nd season doesn’t seems to understand 1 simple fact…other established teams bought an existing team and re-brand it into whatever they want, took their experience and facilities and yet still scoring 2-3 points per race(eg.sauber,torro rosso) but the 3 new teams build everything from scratch.to be able to compete in the highest tech motorsport and running the team professionally is considered great!