May 5 (GMM) Neither Jarno Trulli or Heikki Kovalainen will have to give up their T128 cockpits on Friday morning in Turkey.
It will be the first time in 2011 that the green-clad team has not appointed a Friday driver for the initial practice session.
Finland’s Turun Sanomat reports that Angolan Ricardo Teixeira, backed by the state oil company Sonangol, is next in line for a Friday outing.
“But he will not be seen in Turkey as negotiations with his sponsor are still ongoing,” said the report.
Team boss Tony Fernandes said he expects Lotus to make its “next step” forwards not in Turkey this weekend, but in Barcelona in two weeks.
“I am not expecting us to have found another chunk of time here as we have been focusing on the Barcelona race for the update package,” he said.
