Current season the worst financially for Lotus - Permane

Romain Grosjean's third place finish at Spa was exactly what the doctor ordered to help lift Lotus' spirits in the midst of its current financial strains.

The sight of the ecstatic Grosjean jumping out of his car at the finish and running arms aloft to his mechanics expressed a successful feeling which has been too long coming.

The team's cars remain impounded in the Belgian paddock however, and serve as a reminder of the Enstone squad's ongoing financial straits which have precluded the team from achieving better results this year.

"We've had a very difficult season," acknowledged Alan Permane, Lotus' Trackside Operations Director, speaking to Sky Sports.

"There's no doubt this is the worst season we have had financially and we have scrimped and scraped for parts and to get the cars on the track is a massive effort each week. So to be able to stick it on the podium is just unbelievable. For everyone here, and everyone back at Enstone, it's just awesome."

According to Permane, Lotus' budgetary constraints have naturally impeded the team's progress this year in terms of development, but it has also forced the outfit to manage its equipment and resources economically and efficiently.
"We've only got three gearboxes," Permane admitted. "Most teams, and we certainly in the past, have brought five or six gearboxes, but we have three this year and that is where we are."

"So someone has to use their race gearbox on a Friday and unfortunately it was Romain and he had a problem and he had a five-place penalty. Under normal circumstances that would just have been a gearbox change and no penalty."

In spite of the lack of investment, Permane was appreciative of management's efforts to keep the outfit afloat during the stressed times.

"We could have done an awful lot better this season with a little more investment. Having said that our owners have kept us going through the hard times and they have put money in and kept the team running and coming to races. And that is the important thing, being able to be here and score podiums like this."

Click here for F1i's driver ratings after the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. 

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