A few figures will be more than relevant – apart from his own words describing the excruciating experience of 2010 – in showing you how Trulli lived his F1 days in 2010: 21st position in the overall classification, 8 DNF/DNS, countless mechanical problems or failures of some kind with his Lotus F1 car, 7 finishes in P17 or below and a season highlight 13th place in Japan.
Needless to say, when deciding to prolong his F1 career in the Lotus Racing garage, Trulli didn't have a clue what he was getting himself into. However, now that he got past the purgatory (or so he believes) Trulli aims for better times in 2011. Until then, he has a little trophy he wants to award himself after his troubling 2010 season.
“I think I deserved the medal for the unluckiest driver of the year,” he said in a recent interview with italiaracing.net. “The number of breakages I suffered during the season was 'impressive' - | think it was 15 out of 19 races - so there is no need to say that it was the worst season of my whole career.”
Looking forward to 2011 however, Trulli's speech began showing a more positive note, mainly because of the changes operated by team principal Tony Fernandes in order to ensure his drivers have a more competitive package for next year. Shortly after the 2010 campaign Lotus switch from Cosworth to Renault power and signed a gearbox deal with Red Bull Racing. Both agreements last until the end of the 2012 campaign.
“Fernandes pushed really hard to get a better engine and gearbox package that allows us to look forward, with greater confidence, to next season. Forget 2010, because I think that, next year, we could start to fight for points,” he said. “(...) Team Lotus and Fernandes are working fine, but should be aware that it will take time to reach the top.”
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