Jolyon Palmer would have been particularly disappointed after only being able to do four installation laps
An agreement was eventually reached between Lotus and Pirelli an hour before practice, but there were further delays because the tyres had to be put in their blankets and brought up to temperature.
Lotus faced a winding-up petition brought by creditors in the High Court earlier this month. The matter was resolved out of court but money is incredibly tight at the team.
Lotus eventually received a delivery of tyres during practice
Some in Formula One blame the teams for failing to manage their budgets, while others say the cost of the sport’s hybrid engines has made it unaffordable. The skewed system of prize-money payments has also come in for criticism.
Lotus are essentially in a holding pattern, with their owners, Luxembourg-based Genii Capital, unwilling to put in more money until it becomes clear whether Renault will buy the team. A decision on Renault’s future in F1 is expected in the next few months.