With the season reaching its conclusion Lotus will be looking for a return to good form at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend at Suzuka. After the double retirement in Singapore two weeks ago the drivers will be eager to show their abilities in the final races of the season. The team already know their limitations and the middle of the pack will be the best result that the drivers can hope for in Saturday qualifying and during Sunday’s race. With the title race going down to the wire both Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli will need to ensure they avoid the leaders on race, particularly Kovalainen who has courted controversy with his Valencia collision with Mark Webber causing particular talking points over the differences between the newcomers and the established teams. Lotus will particularly want to keep Red Bull on side with the teams agreeing a deal for Lotus to use the current Red Bull gearbox and transmission for the 2011 campaign.

Along with the engine deal with Renault the new developments for next year’s car should push the team further into the midfield and perhaps signal an opportunity for some points finishes in 2011.

As for the remaining races this year the team will hope to make the most out of the ailing T127 before it is replaced by next year’s design, with the remaining races in Japan, Korea, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates being tests of endurance for the current car. The recent retirement woes will be a real concern for the team in the final few races, particularly with Kovalainen’s spectacular fire in Singapore being something that the team will wish to avoid in Japan.

The race weekend at Suzuka will also be a poignant time for the team after the death of former team boss Peter Warr who helped to mastermind the dominance of the old Team Lotus squad with Drivers and Constructors success in the 1960′s, 70′s and 80′s.

The team will anticipate a good performance over the Grand Prix weekend as a pre-cursor to finish the season on a high note after a difficult year for both drivers, however the technical layout of the circuit will leave high demands on cars and drivers to cope with Suzuka being the second longest track on the calendar, being beaten by Spa Francorchamps.

The circuit returned to the calendar last season after a three year absence from Formula One with the Fuji circuit acting as a replacement in 2007 and 2008, the circuit has been the backdrop of drama over several decades with many title battles being decided at the circuit, Damon Hill’s 1996 title win is one of particular merit.

The track itself is a relative classic to the calendar, when compared to the modern arena tracks at places such as Korea and Abu Dhabi the Suzuka circuit holds a sense of history with Japan holding its first Formula One grand prix in 1976 and Suzuka holding its first race in 1986. The layout for the circuit means that drivers require constant concentration behind the wheel with a mix of tight corners blending into high speed straights and fast corners, meaning that the slightest error could ruin a lap or end a drivers race.

The team will be optimistic of a good finish to a difficult year and Suzuka could prove to be a stepping stone for Lotus in the remaining races.

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