Lotus were left feeling disappointed after the Belgian Grand prix at Spa, with heavy rain causing havoc for the drivers. The weekend started promisingly for the team with Kovalainen equalling his season’s best qualifying performance with a 13th place start to Sundays race. Team-mate Jarno Trulli also started to show some promise in a difficult season with a 15th place start to the race under varying conditions.

The race would be even more eventful for the team as the weather continued to cause chaos for the drivers, for Kovalainen the race strategy would be the Finn’s downfall. Pitting for wet tyres too early into the race meant that Kovalainen would be consigned to three stops in the race, virtually consigning him to the back of the field early on.

Jarno Trulli would make little improvement on his team-mate with the Italian struggling to consolidate his qualifying position, before spinning off on lap 41. In light of the atrocious conditions Lotus will undoubtedly welcome the fact that both drivers finished the race, with the team out performing some of their midfield rivals.

By the end of the 44 lap battle of endurance the Lotus drivers completed the run with a respectable 16th and 19th place finish for Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli respectively. The team will have been relieved to have finished at all with the likes of Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello all retiring in the race.

Despite the various problems during the race at Spa, the result continues the teams good run of form and the performance shouldn’t dampen spirits too much. The next test for the team will be at Monza in Italy where outright performance could be crucial for a good result with the mix of chicanes and the long fast straight being particularly demanding for the cars and drivers. Performance has been something that Lotus have lacked in 2010 and any further oomph to be gained from the Cosworth V8 will be welcomed by the team, the race at Spa was the perfect indication of unpredictability in Formula One and Monza could spring its own share of surprises during the race.

The overall performance in Belgium was by no means a disgrace from the team or the drivers and the overall finish suggests that there is a lot more promise to come from Lotus in the next few years. The teething period that blighted the early season may still be showing faint signs of re-emerging, but the optimism and enthusiasm of the team can’t be broken, there might be a lack of out right speed but if the reliability and results keep coming in 2010 it might suggest brighter things to come in the future.

Monza will be the next challenge for the team as they continue to re-establish the Lotus mark in Formula One with the middle of the pack still being the benchmark for success. Kovalainen and Trulli will welcome another competitive qualifying session as well as maintaining the optimism of further race finishes as the season reaches its finale.

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