On the back of a double points finish in Suzuka, Lotus F1 Team will be aiming to keep the momentum up next weekend in Russia, not only for its drivers but also for its quest to overtake Force India for fifth place in the Constructor's Championship.
Lotus technical director Nick Chester offers his views on unlocking the team's E23 potential around the former Olympic games site in Sochi.
"We know that the surface is very smooth and last year we struggled generating temperature with the tyres, partly through the smooth surface and partly through what was a conservative tyre allocation," explained Chester.
"Pirelli’s softer allocation for this year along with the more weathered track surface and our better knowledge of the circuit should mean we fare far better in this regard."
But Sochi's mild climate may also throw a spanner into the works or invalidate any devised set-up and strategy plans.
"The weather can indeed be quite unusual in Sochi as you have the mountains on one side and the sea on the other. There’s potential for a reasonable mix of weather in the week ahead so we’ll be kept on our toes. "
Sochi's layout should prove a favourable terrain however for the Mercedes-powered Lotus, although its highly technical properties shall undoubtedly provide a good challenge for Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado upon their return to Russia following the site's inaugural event in 2014.
"In terms of its needs, we know that it’s a track that is quite power and traction-sensitive," confirmed Chester.
"The layout presents a lot of slow speed corners and long straights. Braking down into Turn 13 is very severe and you come out of the kink before you brake so it is a difficult corner to get right. Overall, the whole track is quite technical, so it's certainly a challenging one for the drivers."
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