F1 legend and Group Lotus brand ambassador Jean Alesi gives his thoughts on the Australian Grand Prix.
What do you think about Vitaly’s performance in Melbourne?
It’s a superb result for him and Lotus Renault GP. To be the very first Russian driver on the podium must also feel incredible. What’s also great is that his result came from good strong driving, rather than from the mistakes of others, this is a great sign of his potential. The result will give him a good confidence boost too.
After the difficult pre season with Robert Kubica’s accident, what do you think a result like this will mean to the team?
An incident such as the one LRGP had with Robert is a disaster for any team however I think what the result in Australia clearly demonstrates is how much progress the team have made with the car. Their hard work has definitely paid off. Watching the race, Robert will have seen how strong the car is and I’m sure he will see this as a very good sign for the team.
How emotional was it for you to see the return of the iconic black and gold livery?
Very emotional. When we unveiled the livery back in January at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham, everyone was really excited just to see the colours again and be reminded of the great drivers such as Ayrton Senna. The colours are fantastic but it’s the results that make the real difference and for me, this combination is amazing!
You’re the F1 spokesperson for Group Lotus, how exciting is a result like this for Group Lotus?
It’s incredibly exciting. To be just a few laps away from the end of the race with one of your drivers heading for the podium is a wonderful feeling. The team and drivers have worked exceptionally hard during testing and we’re are very happy with the results. Keep up the good work and let’s see what we can achieve in Malaysia!
