Oriol Servia remains confident in Lotus IndyCar engine

A Lotus-powered car hit the track for the first time just over a week ago, with Simona de Silvestro and HVM Racing undertaking the early test duties. Rival engine suppliers Chevrolet and Honda have been testing on track since late September last year.

Servia, who will use Lotus engines at Dreyer & Reinbold this year, will get his first taste of the new powerplant early next week. But despite the late start, he is confident that Lotus can have a strong pre-season and be ready for the first race in St Petersburg on March 25.

"It's not like Lotus is late because they've been delayed," Servia told the official IndyCar website. "They're late because they started six months after everybody else, but they've followed 100 per cent their time schedule until now.

"The plan started fine with Simona doing laps. It's encouraging that the engine seemed to be reliable, which is the first thing in developing the car.

"There's no question we're behind the other manufacturers, so that's why we have to make sure every step we take is in the right direction. If we do, then we'll be fine by St Pete."

Dreyer & Reinbold is hoping to add a second full-time car to run alongside Servia this year, but the Spaniard believes that the sharing of information between the Lotus teams means that having an in-house team-mate is not essential.

"It's not as bad as it would have been in previous years because we'll be working together with the other Lotus teams to share data and information," he said.

"We are smaller and starting behind the powerhouses, but that's how Lotus won in the past. In the 60s, they won by doing things just a little bit better. All the pieces seem to be falling in the right place."