Lotus sure it has all it takes to be at the front of the F1 field

Lotus has everything it needs to be fighting at the front of the field in Formula 1 this year, reckons its technical director James Allison

Ahead of a season where the Enstone-based outfit has set its sights on breaking into the top three in the championship, Allison believes that the infrastructure at his team is well placed to deliver just that.

Having undergone the growing pains of a windtunnel upgrade in 2011, plus a more recent ramp up of its CFD and simulator facilities at its factory, Lotus' recent investment appears to have paid off with its new E21 impressing in early testing.

When asked by AUTOSPORT about the improvements he has witnessed in the facilities back at base, Allison said: "I think across the board it is a team that is technically in good shape.

"It is stuffed full of people who know their business, with a lot of experience in the key posts. It is also a team with a lot of young women and men, who are two or three years out of university but very talented and extremely dedicated.

"We have got a lot of nice and good people. We have pretty much the full tool set that a team needs to be competitive, and there is no reason why this team should not compete at the front."

Romain Grosjean delivered the fastest time at Jerez on Wednesday after completing two days in the new Lotus, while Kimi Raikkonen has taken over for the final two days.