Lotus believes that its world championship hopes are still on track, as it predicts an upturn in form over the next few races.
Although Kimi Raikkonen could manage no better than fifth in the Italian Grand Prix, the team had never expected to be fighting near the front at the high-speed Monza venue. But with tracks coming up like Singapore, which will play to the strengths of the Lotus E20, team principal Eric Boullier says there is every reason to feel confident about its prospects.
"We knew we would struggle a little bit at Monza and that is exactly what happened," Boullier said. "But the championship is doable of course, especially with the coming races that will suit us much more."
As well as future venues providing a better hunting ground for Lotus, Boullier says that plans for its double DRS to have its race debut in Japan could also deliver a lift in performance.
"We have some updates coming for Singapore already, and we believe that the downforce level and layout should suit us a little bit because at Budapest and Monaco we were fast," he said. "Japan should suit us as well, especially if we can bring our [double-DRS] device. I think it is going to be an interesting end to the season."