Lotus: Loose part in cockpit delays Trulli

2011 Canadian GP team review

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Jarno Trulli’s race was hampered by a part which fell off his car in the cockpit.

Heikki KovalainenJarno Trulli
Qualifying position2019
Qualifying time comparison (Q1)1’16.786 (+0.041)1’16.745
Race position16
Laps28/7069/70
Pit stops14

Lotus drivers’ lap times throughout the race (in seconds):

https://www.racefans.net/charts/2011drivercolours.csv

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152535455565758596061626364656667686970
Heikki Kovalainen160.244124.948123.985119.486101.368101.185101.216107.577111.51130.796126.888118.22398.805100.20999.83898.4699.05998.883147.006111.994114.551112.752111.894109.675149.407127.42121.579
Jarno Trulli158.663125.381124.13120.046101.218101.131100.754105.725112.381131.584126.207118.60799.698100.46899.71298.472100.86299.448154.112115.828112.351111.859111.274119.333151.966127.516119.715119.811118.68120.757121.045123.642116.42198.73114.728107.529107.559123.475117.17396.87696.20795.33994.7493.60393.89892.07392.05192.11191.92191.553107.18102.12194.546157.696108.154103.77993.44392.16296.69889.68786.88785.29684.16784.25183.2482.23382.485.677

Heikki Kovalainen

Pitted along with Trulli on lap 19 and both drivers suffered delayed pit stops.

It put Kovalainen ahead of Trulli but his driveshaft failed shortly before the race was about to restart.

Heikki Kovalainen 2011 form guide

Jarno Trulli, Lotus, Montreal, 2011

Jarno Trulli

Out-qualified Kovalainen for the first time this year and ran in front of him to begin with. Trulli climbed as high as 11th before switching to intermediates.

He lost time with an extra pit stop to look into a problem with the car, which dropped him behind the two Virgins:

“After the stop to dry tyres I had something moving around in the cockpit so I came back in again for the team to investigate it. They couldn’t fix it so I went back out and did as well as I could to bring the car home to the end.”

The team later discovered the loose component was the front inerter. Mike Gascoyne said: “We considered retiring the car but Jarno did an awesome job to not only bring the car to the end but also to catch the cars in front of him.

“He nearly passed them in the last couple of laps, despite the very large handicap he had, so sincere thanks to him for keeping his foot down in what was a very difficult situation.”

Jarno Trulli 2011 form guide

2011 Canadian Grand Prix

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    Image © Team Lotus

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    16 comments on “Lotus: Loose part in cockpit delays Trulli”

    1. A bit underwhelming from Lotus in the race, unfortunately.

    2. Good effort, and it looks like Fernandes is really getting a good portfolio together from all the tweets.

      But this was just not their weekend, I guess.

      1. Douglas 62500
        13th June 2011, 17:35

        Shame… as those custom designed package hadn’t got a chance to be put to good use…. I guess everybody loves underdog stories, and I would love to switch on the TV on BBC1 on Sunday and see one of them on 10th or above at the results list……

        1. Well, they’ll probably use the rear wing again at Monza.

          1. And maybe Spa?

    3. Trulli climbed as high as before switching to intermediates.

      As high as…?

      1. Sorry! 11th.

    4. dyslexicbunny
      13th June 2011, 16:22

      A weekend to forget for Lotus.

      So would Heikki’s driveshaft have failed anyways or did it fail because of the stop and restart?

      1. Logically, you would think it would have failed sooner in normal race conditions due to the increased torque from the engine. However, so many variables you just don’t know!

        1. dyslexicbunny
          13th June 2011, 23:20

          Well I was thinking that it potentially might have gotten heated up during the race, cooled rapidly at the red flag, and then broke because of the sudden torque places on it at the restart. Just an idea.

          You’re right though. It could have just as easily broken earlier because of excess loads had we started in race conditions.

    5. I did cringe slightly for Heikki when his driveshaft went, but, that’s racing I guess.

      To be honest, I didn’t follow Jarno much but it sounds like he did a good job.

    6. A case of what might have been for Lotus… I remember Fernandes and Gascoyne writing frustrated tweets suggesting that Heikki had pitted unexpectedly and thus held up Jarno, and cost them both the possibility of making up a number of positions under one of the early safety cars – anyone got any more information on that one?

    7. What the hell was Team Fernandes thinking? Based on the descirption Trulli gave in his newspaper column, he thought there was a serious risk that the car could have quite literally come apart around him. They should have done the responsible thing and retired the car on the spot. Attempting to drive a terminally-damaged is a pretty serious offence; the stewards tore Vettel and Red Bull to shred when he did it in Melbourne back in 2009. But now, Team Fernandes’ desparation to prove that they are Team Lotus has led them go a get-results-at-all-costs attitude.

      1. From the bits and pieces I’ve read, you almost sound like you are over reacting a bit!

        get-results-at-all-costs

        What do you honestly expect? Name a team that doesn’t do this.

      2. Trulli reaction after the race

        They couldn’t fix it so I went back out and did as well as I could to bring the car home to the end

        mike gascoyne reaction after the race

        We considered retiring the car but Jarno did an awesome job to not only bring the car to the end but also to catch the cars in front of him.

        it sound to me that both gascoyne and Trulli himself decided to continue racing

      3. Only in the reports I was reading, it rather looks like Trulli himself decided to take it to the finish and somehow manage.

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