• Lotus

Lotus won't be only team missing first test - Boullier

ESPN Staff
January 9, 2014 « New Caterham to launch at first test | Pluses and minuses to Honda's late arrival - Renault »
Lotus will skip the opening test in Jerez this year © Getty Images
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Lotus boss Eric Boullier is confident his team will not be the only one skipping the opening pre-season test in Jerez at the end of this month.

Last week Lotus revealed it would skip Jerez to allow it to continue to develop the E22 ahead of the second test in Bahrain. With just three weeks of testing available to the teams ahead of the first race and brand new regulations, tyres and engines to understand, Boullier admitted to BBC Sport there were "concerns" but does not think his team will be alone in its decision.

"You will see, we will not be the only team not being in Jerez," he told BBC Sport. "I know this for a fact already.

"We already said a month ago that it is going to be tight. Actually most of the teams agreed it was going to be tight. Then it was a decision we took. It is true the car will not be ready on time, but we will be ready shortly after that - and in some ways, it is not bad because we will have time to watch what the others are doing and nobody will be able to watch what we are doing.

"Remember, this year it is a big regulation change, so everybody will be watching very carefully what the others have done."

Mercedes and Caterham will both reveal their cars on the first day of the Jerez test, while McLaren will hold an online launch four days before.

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