Lotus seek improvements

Unlike McLaren’s Jenson Button, Lotus are talking up their chances of seeing improvements to their car.

Both McLaren and Lotus will bring new upgrades to their cars in time for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

Both teams have had contrasting starts to the new 2013 Formula One World Championship, whilst Kimi Raikkonen won the opening race of the season, McLaren have struggled for performance.

The upgrade package should have been the first line of improvements for McLaren to begin their own race of catch-up against the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and Lotus.

But instead if Lotus’s confidence is realised at Barcelona, McLaren could soon find themselves even further behind in the development race.

‘We have a strong development programme for the E21 and I’m confident we can continue to improve it through the year, just as we did with the E20 before it,’ Lotus Team Principal Eric Boullier told Sky Sports.

‘Most teams tend to bring a fairly major upgrade package to the first European race of the season and we’ll be no exception. I’m very pleased with how the development of this car is progressing and I think there’s plenty more to come from us.’

While the Lotus upgrades will not see any radical changes, Circuit de Catalunya will be used as a first test session for a new front wing endplate, changes to the top rear wing and modifications to the diffuser.