Kimi Raikkonen says his triumph at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix shows Lotus’ hard work is beginning to pay off as they strive to become one of the key players in Formula One.
The Finn’s win in the UAE was his first since returning to F1, while it was also a breakthrough for Lotus, who have collected 288 points in the Constructors’ championship to sit fourth in their debut season.
“They’ve been working very hard the whole year but with the hard times there’s a bit unknown in the whole situation,” Raikkonen said.
“For everybody, hopefully, it gives a bit more support and hope that things will turn around and be even better than it’s been this year.”
Lotus team chief Eric Boullier insisted the outfit was on the improve.
“It is just a question of more experience and time,” he said.
“In one way we had two new drivers this year, so to build a team, and build a winning team, you need so many parameters in place.
“One is time and experience, and we learned this year with our drivers that there can be ups and downs. Now, Kimi is right there for both qualifying and the race.”