Team Lotus Contemplate KERS Use in 2011

Team Lotus is one of the few teams that doesn't plan to use the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) during the 2011 season of Formula 1, especially due to the high costs involving such a move. However, in recent weeks, some voices from within Tony Fernandes' squad have hinted that implementing the unit through the upcoming campaign should not be taken out of the equation.

“We might end up with it, who knows?” said the team's chief operating officer Keith Saunt last month, giving a clear suggestion that the Team Lotus officials are contemplating fitting the unit into the T128 in the late stages of the season.

However, talking to the media in recent days, Team Lotus' chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne hinted that it's unlikely his team will have the resources to use KERS through 2011, especially since the entire chassis of the T128 would have to be modified in order to accommodate the costly technology.

“We will discuss it with Renault, but for a small team like us, KERS is a very high cost,” said Gascoyne in a recent interview with Auto Motor und Sport, without however dismissing completely the possibility of using KERS in 2011. “We would need to change the chassis significantly, as at the moment there is no room for KERS.”

In addition, he insisted that will Team Lotus' rivals use the unit in 2011, they would likely be forced to do the same. And that's because all the early estimates on the technology point to a big advantage at race start, as well as lap times up to 0.4 seconds faster while using KERS.

“It would not be good if we're among a few of our direct opponents in qualifying and then before the first corner we lose three or four places because we lack that extra power on the line,” he added.