09/01/2014
NEWS STORY
Lotus boss Eric Boullier has played down speculation over his team's decision to miss the opening pre-season test, claiming that other teams will be absent also.
Earlier this week, the Enstone outfit's Technical Director, Nick Chester, admitted that the E22 would not be ready in time for the Jerez test which gets underway on 28 January. With 2014 seeing the biggest raft of technical changes in living memory, many believe that there must be more to Lotus' decision, some citing the outfit's much publicised financial problems.
"You will see, we will not be the only team not being in Jerez," he told BBC Sport. "I know this for a fact already.
"We already said a month ago that it is going to be tight," he continued. "Actually most of the teams agreed it was going to be tight. Then it was a decision we took. It is true the car will not be ready on time, but we will be ready shortly after that - and in some ways, it is not bad because we will have time to watch what the others are doing and nobody will be able to watch what we are doing. Remember, this year it is a big regulation change, so everybody will be watching very carefully what the others have done.
"We took the decision bearing in mind we would miss a third of the testing, so we have to focus on doing things a little bit differently to make sure we do not lose too much," he added.
Referring to the continued speculation over his team's financial situation, clearly not helped by the deafening silence in terms of Mansoor Ijaz and Quantum Motorsport, Boullier insists that all is well.
"Everything is fine here," he said. "Lotus will be on the grid this year and for a long time."
Chris Balfe