Lotus: The happy surprise

Lotus remains the wild card. While a first victory has eluded the team, it has logged podiums more consistently than most. Kimi Raikkonen is very much in the picture, but several first-lap accidents have proved costly for Romain Grosjean. Both have shown they are quite capable of winning, even without the edge that the team’s new aero package — tested in practice at the last two events — is expected to give.

The final nine races will not just be about the four teams currently at the head of the table, and at least three others have the potential to get in amongst them and take a helping of any points going.