Team Barracuda - Bryan Herta Autosport driver Alex Tagliani took to the road course on Monday and Tuesday for the second in a series of engine tests for the Lotus-powered Dallara DW12.
The Lotus test team, comprised of crew members from Bryan Herta Autosport, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and HVM Racing, completed two successful days of testing further engine developments as well as setup work. As the second day concluded, Tagliani expressed positive thoughts about his first experience with the new engine and chassis.
“Overall, it was a good test,” said the French-Canadian. “It was nice to be back in the car and I really enjoyed working with everyone from Lotus and all three of the teams. It's a very motivated group with high expectations.
“We picked up a lot of the info that will be helpful in the upcoming tests. Oriol [Servia] should be able to continue where we left off. The car is nice to drive and has a lot of potential. It's also great to know that there are more updates and upgrades for the engine and chassis.”
Tagliani had an extra element of confidence during this test, as he was reunited with Todd Malloy, his former engineer for the pole position and fourth-place finish last season at Texas Motor Speedway. Tagliani noted, “It was especially fun to be back on track with Todd on my radio.”
Team owner, Bryan Herta was satisfied with the results as well, adding, “Great to see and hear the Lotus engine for myself here in Homestead. It is easy to get excited as the season approaches and preparations continue to intensify. Alex gave us great feedback on the car and engine.”
Last week, HVM Racing driver Simona De Silvestro was the first to test the Lotus engine. Simona clocked up valuable mileage at both the West Palm Beach and Sebring circuits, leaving the Lotus teams pleased with the extended running completed in the engine's initial outings.
Dreyer & Reinbold driver Servia will get behind the wheel next, as the Lotus test team heads to Sebring next week. The first of the Lotus production engines are expected to be delivered in a little over two weeks, with testing of the the Barracuda Networks car to begin shortly thereafter.