Lotus F1 News

[Feffman]

Lotus: Malaysian driver not essential

 

By Edd Straw Saturday, November 14th 2009, 10:47 GMT

 

 

Lotus F1 Racing does not need to place a Malaysian driver in one of its race seats in 2010, according to team principal Tony Fernandes, but the team is keen to run a driver from that part of the world in the future.

 

Fernandes, a successful Malaysian entrepreneur who launched Air Asia, is keen for the team to create a platform for driver development in South East Asia. But he insists that the team will only be willing to run a Malaysian driver if they are ready for Formula 1.

 

Fairuz Fauzy, who finished second in this year's Formula Renault 3.5 championship, is likely to be involved with the team, possibly as a third driver.

 

"That's not relevant for me at the moment because it's not a one-year project," he told AUTOSPORT when asked whether Lotus needs a Malaysian race driver next year. "The important thing is the Malaysian team, not the Malaysian driver.

 

"The fact is, people can support the team. If you look at Ferrari, they are an Italian team and every Italian supports them whether you have Kimi Raikkonen in the car, who's a Finn, or Fernando Alonso, who is Spanish. Ferrari hasn't had an Italian world champion for a very long time, but it is still the Italian team."

 

Fernandes is also keen not to repeat the negative publicity Alex Yoong received in Malaysia when he raced for Minardi in 2001-2002. Despite going on to become a race-winning A1GP driver, Yoong did not have the experience required for F1 and received some unfair press coverage during his time as the Malaysian media grew impatient with his battle to get up to speed as a grand prix driver.

 

"He was thrown in at the deep end and we won't make that mistake," said Fernandes. "Everyone feels that they are ready, but when you have a grid that is separated by 1.5 seconds it's highly competitive. The idea of Fairuz Fauzy is not just to shove a Malaysian driver in there to say that you are doing it.

 

"The success of this programme is whether you have 20 Malaysian drivers that have the ability and that one day maybe a team like McLaren or Ferrari has a Malaysian driver. But it is not critical for me. If Fauzy makes it, great - that's a bonus – but we are not going to throw him in at the deep end."

 

Lotus technical director Mike Gascoyne has said he is keen to have two experienced drivers, with ex-Toyota racer Jarno Trulli in contention for a drive, but Fernandes is keen to have a blend of youth and experience.

 

"If we can get a guy who has been doing it for a long time, that's fantastic because you can't buy experience and he can help us develop the car and the team," said Fernandes. "And he can help us after the race, adding value to driver development.

 

"On the second driver, I think that it's good to have someone young because sometimes if you have been doing it for 15 years there is a little bit of cynicism and it gets repetitious. If you've got an energetic young guy that rubs off on you.

 

"Ultimately, I will leave it to Mike and the team to decide."

[Feffman]

Lotus Strengthens Management Team

 

 

By Pablo Elizalde

Tuesday, February 16th 2010, 12:57 GMT

 

Lotus Racing has announced a strengthening of its senior management team, with S M Nasarudin and Dato' Kamarudin Meranun joining Tony Fernandes as deputy team principals.

 

The duo are shareholders of the Norfolk-based squad.

 

Lotus, returning to Formula 1 after an absence of 16 years, said it hopes the changes will give the team a strong leadership to tackle the challenge of racing in Formula 1 again.

 

"We made this dream possible, turning it from a simple Malaysian dream to reality," S M Nasarudin.

 

"This was all made possible through passion, hard work and team spirit. As with all the challenges that we have had to face to get to where we are now, we embraced these challenges as a team and now are even more determined to finish what we have started.

 

"We are realistic of our goals and by no means will it be easy from this point onwards, but the belief is there. We will consistently bring with us a professional and confident set up to each of the races for this season.

 

"As team owners, and in our Deputy Principal's roles, it further reflects our continued belief and commitment to this team."

 

Fernandes added: "Our goals and objectives are clear but, as mentioned earlier, there is still a huge task at hand. We have 19 races to go through and, with the three of us assisting each other in our roles, we believe that the management has all the necessary resources to bring the team to the forefront."

 

Lotus is taking to the track at Jerez tomorrow for its first public outing with the new T127 car.

[slngsht]

I see alot of Malaysia, and a little bit of Lotus.

 

Good for Fernandes in getting a national team going for Malaysia.

 

Does Lotus have anything to do with design of the chassis at all?

[scannon]

I see alot of Malaysia, and a little bit of Lotus.

 

Good for Fernandes in getting a national team going for Malaysia.

 

Does Lotus have anything to do with design of the chassis at all?

 

It is Lotus in name only.

[S1Steve]

Lotus Technical Director- Mike Gascoyne ex-Tyrrell, Sauber, Jordan,Bettetton/Renault,

Toyota, Spyker/Force India.

Tony Fernandes is the money, one of three guys that own their own airline in F1, Gascoyne is the brains, Lotus in name only !!!!

Chapman family was going to sue over the use the of Lotus brand, last year, so I would

guess some pounds were handed over.

[slngsht]

Lotus Technical Director- Mike Gascoyne ex-Tyrrell, Sauber, Jordan,Bettetton/Renault,

Toyota, Spyker/Force India.

Tony Fernandes is the money, one of three guys that own their own airline in F1, Gascoyne is the brains, Lotus in name only !!!!

Chapman family was going to sue over the use the of Lotus brand, last year, so I would

guess some pounds were handed over.

I'm having a hard time getting excited about that.

 

If they stink up the joint, drags Lotus through the mud. If they do well, I suppose it's a good marketing thing for Lotus, but real enthusiasts will know it's not really Lotus.

[S1Steve]

What I am trying to get excited about is our own F1 team, USF1. They have missed the first two tests in Spain. They have FIA permission to do their first test at Barber Motorsport Park. ( Don't we know someone that works there) . USF1 is going to test there next month from what little details I can get. But I want all the new team to do well.

[slngsht]

not looking good

 

 

http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,189...956816,00.html

 

The USF1 team is reportedly on the verge of quitting Formula One - and before they had even started.

 

Rumours of USF1's pending demise have made headlines for the past few months with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone often stating that he believes they won't make the 2010 grid.

 

The situation became dire this week when reports claimed that YouTube founder Chad Hurley has backed out of his sponsorship deal, with the lack of progress from the team believed to be the reason.

 

"The bottom line is really simple: sponsor money didn't come through the way it was supposed to and it has grinded down the company to a halt," an unnamed source told The New York Times.

 

"They're having trouble making payroll, they're having trouble paying suppliers and that's the situation they find themselves in."

 

And that lack of funds has, reportedly, brought USF1's dream of competing to a halt.

 

According to an Argentine media outlet, USF1 boss Peter Windsor has told their only driver, Argentina's José María López, that his services are no longer required as they won't be

 

The report claims that ""with tears in his eyes", Windsor informed Lopez, his father and a close associate that the team will most likely miss this year's Championship.

 

The team, though, has yet to comment on the reports.

[S1Steve]

All my favorite F1 sites are reporting bad news. Lots of hype at the start, and seemed to go down hill from there. Big , Giant, undertaking, $$$$$ starting a team from nothing.

 

Oh well, back to supporting that Red team !!!!!

[Feffman]

Lotus Racing Joins Forces With CNN

 

By Pablo Elizalde

Tuesday, March 2nd 2010, 09:32 GMT

 

 

The Lotus Racing team has signed a partnership deal with leading news network CNN, it was announced on Tuesday.

 

The team, which is bringing the Lotus name back to Formula 1 for the first time since 1993, said CNN's logos will on the T127 cars during the 2010 season.

 

"We are very proud to welcome CNN into the Lotus Racing family," said team principal Tony Fernandes.

 

"It is a sign of the positive impact we have already made in the global business market that such a prestigious brand, familiar to millions around the world as the definitive source of news and current affairs, has made the decision to partner with us.

 

"The whole team and I are looking forward to working with CNN in the months and years to come on some very exciting campaigns."

 

The deal will be managed by CNN's commercial 'Partner Solutions Group', led by Rani Raad, senior vice president CNN International Advertising Sales.

[thegoat]

Good to see a new sponsor in F1.

[DogsBollocks]

Who owns who any more and ....

it has been going on for years in F1 and the car industry in general, so right now it's Asia and India with the money.

I think its great for Lotus to be back in any form, if it was not for Proton of Malaya, Lotus would be just a fond memory.

 

I see alot of Malaysia, and a little bit of Lotus.

 

Good for Fernandes in getting a national team going for Malaysia.

 

Does Lotus have anything to do with design of the chassis at all?

[scannon]

Team US F1 shuts down operation

 

By Jonathan Noble and Dieter Rencken. Tuesday, March 2nd 2010, 19:29 GMT

 

 

Team US F1's Formula 1 hopes appeared to be over on Tuesday, with high level sources revealing to AUTOSPORT that the outfit has now effectively closed down.

Against the backdrop of weeks of uncertainty about the future of the American team, which had been struggling to get a car ready for the start of the season, sources have revealed team personnel have now been informed they are no longer required as the operation could not continue in its present guise.

 

AUTOSPORT understands that shortly before lunchtime, production manager Dave Skog informed those staff who had remained at the team during its recent troubles that they were being put on unpaid leave - even though they remain technically employed.

That move, which has not yet been officially confirmed, effectively brings an end to the F1 dreams of team principal Ken Anderson and sporting director Peter Windsor who had hoped to create a genuine American grand prix team unless a fresh cash injection can be found.

 

It is understood that neither Anderson nor Windsor were present at the factory while the announcement was made, and neither was available for comment about the latest situation.

Calls to the factory switchboard have also gone unanswered, with a message stating that the number is temporarily not working.

 

The failure of Team US F1 to make it onto the grid means that there is now a vacancy for the Serbian outfit Stefan Grand Prix, which has been sitting on the sidelines for several months.

 

US F1 will need to be officially withdrawn from the championship if Stefan GP is going to have a chance of getting a late entry - although such a situation may be possible if FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting's inspection visit to the American team's factory last week showed that the outfit was not capable of competing.

 

It is also not clear what US F1 investor Chad Hurley will now do. The American YouTube co-founder, who had invested in the team, has been linked with potential deals with both Stefan GP and Campos Meta in recent weeks - and it is possible he may choose to remain in F1 through involvement with another team.

[scannon]

US F1 has applied for a deferral until 2011.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8547335.stm

[DogsBollocks]

its dead

[Feffman]

Gascoyne: Reliability Key to Early Points

 

By Jonathan Noble

Monday, March 8th 2010, 12:31 GMT

 

 

Lotus technical chief Mike Gascoyne thinks reliability will be key in giving his team a chance of scoring points in the early races of the season - even though the car is lacking pace.

 

Formula 1's new teams have so far not delivered the kind of speed on track that will be needed to challenge the established outfits – but that has not left Gascoyne downbeat about the situation.

 

In fact, Gascoyne believes that Lotus' form has been hit by the fact his outfit has been chasing reliability from the outset – as he is well aware that just getting to the finish of grands prix early in the year could deliver some early points.

 

"With the best will in the world, none of the new teams are going to score points on merit in the first four races," Gascoyne told AUTOSPORT ahead of the season opener in Bahrain. "The only way you are ever going to score points is to finish.

 

"Everyone knows that in the first four races, there is always going to be a good opportunity if you finish - so that has to be the number one aim.

 

"That's how we approached it because if you put new aero bits on it, you can make it quicker. If you're not finishing you're not going to get anything. The aim was always to do the first four races and have a car that has a chance of finishing."

 

Although the Lotus T127 suffered a few reliability problems in the last test in Barcelona, Gascoyne thinks the team is in good shape considering how little time it has had to get ready for the move in F1.

 

"[it was] nothing major, just normal stuff, to be honest," he said about the stoppages in Barcelona.

 

"Nothing that we are worried about. We have far exceeded the mileage that we thought we would do and, starting the project five months ago, the aim was to have a neat simple car that would be reliable for the first four races. It was a pretty tall order, and we've achieved it probably better than we expected we could."

 

Lotus is planning a major aerodynamic upgrade in time for the start of the European season in Bahrain – with Gascoyne expecting big leaps forward in pace.

 

"Normally you are chipping away and finding tenths, but now we are looking at updates that will bring us a second," he said.

 

"You have to bear in mind that when we were finalising the design of this car, doing the crash structure and radiator inlets, it was still a month away from going in a wind tunnel. The basic radiator configuration had to be designed with no cooling figures, and no data.

 

"People have said the bodywork at the rear is a bit chunky, and it is – because when we were deciding on cooling figures we didn't have any engine data. And when we took the route that we want to finish the first few races - we had to make sure that it cools, and does all the right things, so we had to do it like that."

[Feffman]

Lotus Aims To Be In Top Five By 2013

 

By Dieter Rencken and Pablo Elizalde

Tuesday, March 30th 2010, 15:34 GMT

 

Tony Fernandes is aiming for his Lotus team to be fighting among the top five Formula 1 outfits in the next three seasons.

 

Malaysian businessman Fernandes has brought the legendary Lotus name back to grand prix racing, and his team has so far being the strongest of the newcomers.

 

Heikki Kovalainen has been the only driver in one of the new teams to finish both in Bahrain and Australia, having also qualified in front of his direct rivals in Melbourne.

 

Fernandes now reckons Lotus can be fighting to be in the top ten in the championship next year, before taking another step forward over the next two seasons.

 

"After Bahrain I've got the idea that within three seasons we can be up there up in the top five teams," Fernandes told AUTOSPORT. "Top ten I would hope this time next year we could be up there.

 

"I think it's harder for them [established teams] to find two seconds, but easier for us, because we've had five months. We built a car that was heavier, we got the wrong radiators, etcetera, etcetera. So I think we can catch them up.

 

"Race pace we are not that far away. Heikki was giving Hulkenberg a bit of a race, so I'm confident we can get to the Saubers and Williams and the Renaults and Toro Rossos. It does seem, even when I say it, it seems tough.

 

"I hope [to be in the top five over the next three years]. Lots of things are going to happen over those three years which I think will make it easier for us."

 

The Lotus boss, who is bringing a big majority of the financial backing, also believes his team will not need a huge budget to succeed in Formula 1.

 

"I don't necessarily think it does, to be honest," he added. "Toyota spent hundreds of millions of dollars and they never got there. I think it's people more than anything.

 

"If someone does an analysis on what's spent in Formula 1, there's a f***-load of waste. The hundred million doesn't equal 300 million of pace, necessarily."

 

And Fernandes made it clear he is in Formula 1 for the long term, not only to succeed, but also because he believes it makes sense financially.

 

"Yes. You don't do it unless you are in for the long haul. We are here for passion but also for the business as well. We think it's a good business."

[Feffman]

Trulli says season starts now for Lotus

 

By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde

Thursday, May 6th 2010, 14:27 GMT

 

 

Jarno Trulli says this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix will mark his Lotus's team proper debut in Formula 1.

 

The team faced a race against time after gaining a late entry to compete this season, something that meant the time to design and prepare its car was very limited.

 

However, after four races, Lotus will introduce a major upgrade package in Barcelona this weekend, hoping to gain over a full second per lap.

 

Trulli reckons it is not when the teams will start competing properly.

 

"It's more realistic to say now Lotus officially enters Formula 1," Trulli told AUTOSPORT.

 

"We hope not to be five seconds off now, but to be three, three and a half seconds off probably. It depends on the circuit conditions, and the layout, but we are aiming to close the gap more and more this year."

 

He also reckons the team has changed completely since the start of work to be ready to make its debut in Bahrain.

 

"You cannot imagine," he said of the change to the team. "At the moment the factory is starting to look like a normal Formula 1 factory, with all the departments working flat out, with all the engineers and the designers, which we didn't have at the beginning. We really were a bit desperate, but it was mainly given by the limited time.

 

"I think Mike is now really organising everything inside in order to start designing and building everything in-house. We are really looking like a very professional team now."

 

Trulli insisted this is a transition year for his team, and admitted he has been happy to see his feedback has been listened to in order to improve the car.

 

"We've got some aero parts, and we've also got some mechanical parts," he said.

 

"The direction I've been giving and the problems I've been pointing out they are exactly what I was saying, which means that we understood and we have confirmed what are the key points that we really need to attack in order to turn this car around, which probably will be hard for this season, but at least we have a clear idea and direction for next year.

 

"I'm very happy about this. This is a preparation season for me, a transition season where I really need to give all my knowledge and all my experience in order to prepare next year, when we'll have all the time to prepare the car and make it competitive."

 

And the Italian suggested his team should not focus a lot more in improving this year, but rather on preparing for next season.

 

"Even though it will be hard I think we can still work and gain speed, like we did here. But to turn the season around won't be so easy. I think also we don't necessarily have to do that. I think our aim is to beat the newcomers, but make sure we also start thinking soon about the next year.

 

"Because we start to have the power to prepare for next year better and better and I don't want to miss that opportunity. This year is like this, we knew it, but I'm already thinking of where I want to be for next year."

[Feffman]

Lotus Now Eyeing Established Teams - Kovalainen

 

 

By Motorsport.com/GMM

Date 2010-05-19

 

Lotus is almost ready to begin fighting with F1's established teams, according to Heikki Kovalainen.

 

The Malaysian backed outfit has been the most impressive of the sport's three new entrants this year, particularly in the wake of a recent upgrade for the T127 car.

 

And despite Kovalainen retiring in Monaco with a steering problem, the Finn thinks Lotus is getting ready to make its next step.

 

"For a time I was able to drive at the same pace as the Renault of Petrov," he is quoted by France's Auto Hebdo after the famous street race.

 

"We showed in Monaco that we are clearly the best of the new teams and that we will soon be able to fight with the teams in front of us."

 

28-year-old Kovalainen's was the fourteenth fastest race lap in Monaco, ahead of the Saubers and even Rubens Barrichello's Williams.

[Feffman]

Lotus Set To Shift Focus To 2011 Car

 

By Jonathan Noble

Thursday, May 20th 2010, 10:33 GMT

 

 

Lotus has elected to shift design focus onto next year's car in the hope that the head-start on its 2011 challenger will help it surprise the opposition.

 

The Hingham-based outfit has made good progress with its T127 this season, with a major aerodynamic upgrade introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix helping the outfit close down the gap on the established outfits.

 

And although the team plans to introduce another update for the British Grand Prix, Lotus' technical chief has confirmed that the priority now is to get on with ensuring it does as good a job as possible for 2011.

 

"We still have stuff coming through and there will probably be a package for Silverstone, but now we are very much concentrating on 2011," Gascoyne told AUTOSPORT. "The 2011 model is going in the wind tunnel soon.

 

"This year we were always going to play catch up. Next year, with the big rule changes, it levels the playing field and we need to put our resources into that. So we want to keep pushing, but we want to look at next year as well."

 

With the limited time frame that the team had to create its 2010 car, having only been given the green light for its entry six months before the start of the season, Gascoyne admits that the team had to focus on simply getting its challenger ready for this year rather than pushing it to the design limit.

 

And although he thinks further improvements can be made to the T127, he reckons that resources will actually be better spent focusing on 2011 because there is little hope of overhauling the current teams in the points' table.

 

"We want to get 10th [in the Constructors' Championship] and realistically, even if we made the car better, would we get ninth or eighth? Probably not.

 

"Therefore is it worth putting resources into that, or switching them to next year? There is also the commercial aspect you want to be seen moving forward this year, but we want to take some people by surprise next year."

 

He added: "We are still testing in the wind tunnel and there are bits in production that are coming through, so we are not stopping now.

 

"We are also taking weight out of the car. We don't have carbon suspension on the car, that will be coming through for Silverstone, and that will obviously carry over to next year. We are pretty happy with where we are."