Alan Permane: “There will not be a complete reset in 2014”
The track operations director of Lotus F1 Team, Alan Permane, answered Autosport's questions on the sidelines of the Singapore Grand Prix. Permane talks about 2014 and clearly indicates to Ferrari and Alonso that their chances are limited even with the major changes coming in the regulations.
We know that 2014 will be a year of major changes in F1. The arrival of the new 1.6-liter V6 turbo engines will clearly shake things up. While the engine will play a significant role, let’s not overlook the aerodynamics of the cars, which will also be modified according to the innovations brought by the 2014 Power Units.
For many drivers, 2014 will be the year of change. The first eagerly awaiting the next season is Fernando Alonso. The Asturian fervently hopes that as early as 2014, Ferrari will be able to compete on an equal footing with Red Bull and beat them fair and square. A vision of the future not shared by Alan Permane, Director of Trackside Operations for the Lotus F1 team. He also responded bluntly in Autosport to Alonso’s remarks, warning him against any excess of optimism.
« It’s not as if Caterham and Marussia are suddenly going to be in the middle of the pack. That’s not going to happen. The counters will be somewhat reset, but there won’t be a complete reset.
Sebastian now has a two-second lead per lap, and he will retain part of that advantage next season. And, to be frank, Red Bull is currently the best team in designing a fast car. So why would it be any different next year?
I suppose the engine will play an important role, but there is no reason to believe that Renault will not produce a decent engine. It should be fine. You can be sure that Vettel will have a good engine, which will also be fuel-efficient. Red Bull will remain the team to beat next year, and he will be the man to beat.
Their lead is two and a half seconds per lap. This lead is largely due to Vettel considering that Mark Webber is far from displaying such a pace. And I believe he wasn’t even at full throttle, except in qualifying. That should honestly kill anyone’s morale. If I were Fernando… talking about winning the championship? Forget it, they’re not close to achieving it. And they won’t be any closer to winning it next year if Red Bull maintains the advantage they currently have.
Is Fernando Alonso projecting himself too far ahead for 2014? It’s up to Ferrari to prove Permane wrong and finally provide the Spanish driver with the car he’s been waiting for since joining the Reds, to finally compete on equal terms with Vettel.
