Yesterday I was called upon to film at the Norfolk headquarters of the new Lotus F1 Racing team. Del and Al, I know you will be envious! I pointed the camera while Nicky Price of Radio Norfolk put questions to Mike Gascoyne, the Chief Technical Officer, and Heikki Kovalainen, the racing driver.
Kovalainen was having his seat fitting session in the mock-up car. Each driver has his own seat moulded to their body. The car really must feel like part of you. In the photo below you can just see the tops of the feet on the pedals: the feet are higher than the driver's bottom!
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the factory was that it felt deserted. The clean room where the composite body shell parts are made, before being baked in a giant oven, was a sea of empty white tables. There was a vast office space with desks for designers, nearly all unoccupied. Most of the team was in Cologne. No real cars have been made yet, and track testing is next month!
When asked about the difference between snow in his native Finland and here, Kovalainen admitted to finding it tricky driving on "summer tyres" over here. In Finland, he said, cars have winter tyres, and the roads are cleared as soon as it snows.
Watch Heikki Kovalainen's interview here
Amber has taken a note of the address of this blog so that Chris can see it, and be suitably envious too.
photos by Ian Forster (using my camera)
edited to update
3 comments:
I visited there several years ago but wasn't allowed to take photos. I also visited Mclaren's just as their F1 was launched.
It was still at the works prior to going to the show. We were allowed to look, probably the first members of the public to see it, but not touch as it had just been polished.
Del and Al will not be the only ones that are envious, add Lesley and Joe to that list please!
Lesley
You lucky wosit! You should see the look on our faces!!
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