Boullier: 'Third place is our minimum target'

© Lotus F1 Team, LAT Photographic

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier says the team's aim is to finish at worst, third in the Constructors' Championship - one better than they managed last season.

Speaking during the launch of their 2013 car, the E21, the Frenchman expressed confidence in achieving such a goal.

"The continuity and potential of our driver line-up [means] we have a very powerful cocktail for the season ahead," he said. "Our ambitious plan to turn ourselves into one of the top teams in Formula 1 is coming to fruition and now we need to harness this with strong and regular podium results.

"Third place is at least an achievement we would like to have next year," he added. "We are really, really keen to do better than 2012.

"We will give everything we can to be in the top three. ... We need both drivers to bring as much as possible."

Last year Lotus finished fourth, 75 points adrift of McLaren in third, but had at stages been running as high as second before drifting off toward the end of the year.

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