Lotus team principal Eric Boullier admits his team may have to revise its pre-season expectations following a solid start to the 2012 season.
The Frenchman was open in admitting, before the season had began, that fourth in the Constructors’ was the goal this year, but such an open championship has left Lotus just 14 points off McLaren in second and a further 11 off Red Bull in first after five races.
“After a difficult first few races – where our pace on track did not convert to results at the chequered flag – it’s true to say we have had two strong results and if we continue to score like this we may have to revise our expectations,” said Boullier.
However he isn’t becoming complacent with Lotus’s good form and understands the need to continue pushing through strong developments both on and off track.
“Nothing stands still in Formula 1 and we would be foolhardy to underestimate the opposition,” he added. “We have had two good results, yes, but we have not scored a win. Things change very quickly so we won’t be resting on our laurels.
“Car development is of course an ongoing project and we have plenty of developments and refinements for what is a very good starting point with the E20.
“We are also focusing heavily on pit stops, in particular the tools and components used during stops to ensure we are not missing any tricks to spending the smallest amount of time possible in the pitlane.”