Revamped Lotus believes it has fourth-fastest car in Formula 1

The Enstone-based team suffered a disappointing season in 2014, scoring points just three times, but its 2015 car showed potential during pre-season testing.

Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado qualified in the top 10 in Australia but failed to score points, and again failed to realise the car's potential next time out in Malaysia.

But, in a result the French driver called a 'breakthrough', Grosjean finished seventh behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Williams in China to give the team its first points of the new campaign.

"It looks like in the race, we are the fourth quickest car," Permane told AUTOSPORT.

"I think we were in a little bit of a race on our own, which at the moment, I am very happy with.

"If we can just keep doing that, get some points on and really have a good stab at getting fourth in the championship, I think everyone here will be very, very happy."

The result could have been even better had Maldonado not had a trio of incidents, including over-shooting the pit-lane entry, which dropped him out of the top 10.

However, despite not being able to keep pace with the three leading teams, Permane was buoyed by the fact Lotus was quicker than Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Sauber.

"Without Pastor spinning in the pitlane it would have been a comfortable seventh and eighth," said Permane.

"To beat Ricciardo or both Red Bulls in qualifying is a tricky thing.

"But I think our race pace was significantly better than them and a little bit better than Toro Rosso and Sauber - enough for us to do a very comfortable race."