[F1] Lotus F1 Racing

ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
Monza, Italy 12th September 2010

Lotus Racing will move on to the Singapore Grand Prix having had a strong weekend that unfortunately did not repay the team with the race result they had hoped for. Heikki Kovalainen finished the race in 18th and Jarno Trulli recorded a DNF. Jarno had made a good start and was comfortably leading the other new teams until a gearbox failure on the 46th lap forced him to pull over.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) 18th, fastest lap 1.27.822 - lap 50, 1 stop – lap 23:
“I lost a few positions at the start, managed to get in front of di Grassi but then was stuck behind Timo. I didn’t have the straight line speed to get past him so didn’t have the chance to make a move. It’s a shame because I couldn’t get the true potential out of the car after a good weekend, but that’s life. We haven’t lost anything in terms of the Championship so all in all it’s not too disappointing.”

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) DNF, fastest lap 1.29.017 - lap 30, 1 stop – lap 25:
“It was a very good race until the gearbox problem meant I had to stop. I lost second gear and even though I continued running without second, it gave up completely which ended the race. But I must say that the race had been very satisfying until that point. I was pulling away from Timo and the guys behind and was increasing the lead with every lap, and the car felt great right from the start. But this seems to be the story of the season – we’ll go to Singapore and hope my luck improves there.”

Dieter Gass, Sporting Director: “A bit of an unfortunate race today after a strong weekend. Heikki lost position at the start - he managed to pass di Grassi but couldn’t get past Timo after a good fight. Jarno had a strong race until we ran into gearbox trouble. He lost second, then the whole gearbox, which brought his race to an end. Now we move on to Singapore and we’ll fight back there.”

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: “One has to be philosophical after today’s race, and focus on the fact we had a very good weekend. It’s obviously disappointing that we had yet another gearbox failure on Jarno’s car as he was comfortably pulling away from his nearest rivals until he had to pull over. Heikki had an unfortunate start, and that meant his whole race was compromised as he was stuck behind Timo and couldn’t pass. Despite that, it’s been a good weekend for the team. We’ve made some important decisions about next year, and we’ll build on what we’ve learnt here and come back fighting.”

Ends

Officiel : Cosworth et Lotus c’est terminé
Voie royale pour une fourniture Renault
dimanche 12 septembre 2010 - 23h55, par Franck Drui

C’était dans l’air du temps depuis plusieurs mois déjà mais très tard ce soir cela a été bel et bien officialisé : Cosworth a annoncé avoir obtenu un accord de principe avec l’équipe Lotus pour cesser de fournir ses moteurs dès la fin de cette saison.

Lotus s’était engagée pour trois ans avec Cosworth mais la volonté d’un partenariat avec Renault a été rapidement dévoilée par les médias. Cosworth et Lotus ne feront pas de commentaires avant que l’accord (le dédit financier, NDLR) ne soit formellement signé entre les deux parties.

On peut imaginer que tout cela se fera à temps pour Singapour, où l’écurie compte annoncer ses pilotes 2011 - le duo Trulli Kovalainen ne devrait pas changer - et l’arrivée du moteur Renault et sa boite de vitesses. Lotus Racing annoncera aussi en même temps son changement de nom pour l’année prochaine, reprenant l’appellation historique de "Team Lotus" (lire ici notre article publié plus tôt dans la journée).

Big one a écrit:J'imagine que Total donnera des sous appréciables...

Zelkin a écrit:Sinon c'est de la pate d'amande la T127 ?

SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
Hingham, UK 15th September 2010

Lotus Racing moves back to Asia where the unique night race in Singapore marks the 15th round of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship. For the Anglo-Malaysian squad, the event will be another opportunity to cement their status as best of the new teams on-track, and will provide the perfect backdrop for a number of very exciting announcements about the team’s future for 2011 and beyond.

Mike Gascoyne, Lotus Racing Chief Technical Officer: “Looking back to Italy it was obviously not the outcome we wanted in the race, particularly after such a good weekend until that point, but Jarno’s pace was very encouraging, particularly in the race, and Heikki put in a good performance to finish 18th. Now we move on to Singapore where we will be looking to get both cars over the finish line and reinforce our position in front of the new teams. The focus now is really on the 2011 car, so we won’t be bringing any major new parts to Singapore. Despite that, I think we’ll be able to maintain the advantage we have over our nearest rivals on what is a pretty high downforce track. The track is bumpy and some of the kerbs are pretty high, so being able to deal with the bumps and the kerbs well is important. Both our drivers have reported that they feel like the car deals well with uneven surfaces, and they have the confidence to attack the kerbs in the T127, so let’s see what happens.”

Heikki Kovalainen: “It’s always slightly different racing in Singapore, but it’s something I look forward to. The race organisers always do a great job in preparing the track, and it’s pretty hardcore for the fans as the cars look cool and sound amazing around the city streets. The race itself is pretty tough on the cars and the drivers, but we make sure our body clocks stay on European time and as long as we sleep well and stick to our normal schedules, we cope with it fine.

“Before the race I’ll be doing some intensive training over the next week and a half to make sure I’m ready for the remaining flyaway races. It’s important to make sure I have enough in reserve, not just for Singapore, but for what lies ahead in Japan, Korea, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.”

Jarno Trulli: “I’m staying in Italy after the race and will be doing a bit of cycling with some friends in Tuscany – it’s good to relax a bit between races and catch up with friends, and combining that with a bit of training is a good way to prepare for the next race. I really like the challenge of racing in Singapore – as a driver it’s good to push yourself and while the track itself isn’t hugely different from a couple of others on the calendar, the fact that it’s a night race makes it a unique event. It’ll be good to give the fans in Singapore, so close to Malaysia, their first chance to see the car on track, so we’re all looking forward to it. In terms of preparation for the race, there isn’t a huge amount you can do – we use a clear visor to maximise visibility in the twilight conditions, but apart from making sure your body stays on European time, it’s pretty much the same as any other race – train hard for the heat and make sure you’re ready.”

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: “Singapore is going to be amazing, for me and the whole team – we’ll be making a couple of very exciting announcements over the race weekend, so it’ll be good for us on and off track. Fairuz is driving in FP1 and it’s always good to see a young Malaysian competing on a global level, particualrly for Lotus Raicng. On a purely visual level it will be very cool to see our cars under the lights, and I think that green and yellow paint scheme, with the white flashes running along the cars, will look amazing on track – it’s something the fans will love. They also need to keep an eye on the skies, as the pictures of one of our AirAsia planes in Lotus Racing colours have appeared on the internet. I was sent a few pictures of it by Twitter, and while that is obviously very cool, it means even more to me that that plane will be taking the team back home to Malaysia after the race, and that they will be taking a bit of time off between Singapore and Japan in our other home. It is great to know they can land on the other side of the world from the UK and be given the sort of welcome they will receive in Malaysia, where Lotus Racing has really touched the heart strings of a huge amount of Malaysian fans.

“Singapore itself is obviously somewhere that is very close to my heart – I know a lot of people there, and I have had a lot of emails from friends and colleagues who are very excited about seeing us on track, so I can’t wait. Singapore is where we first announced the formation of Lotus Racing, standing there in black polo shirts and black caps. Mike had brought some parts with him to show Dr Tun Mahathir and now we have gone from that small beginning, with just a few parts and a very big dream, to where we are today, and long may that dream continue. ”

Ends

Narm a écrit:Très bizarre : d'un côté chez Lotus il y a Gascoyne qui a travaillé chez Toyota, et il me semble que lorsque le projet F1 de Toyota a été stoppé pas mal de monde a trouvé refuge chez Lotus...

Mais après il me semble que le V8 Toyota était pas spécialement un foudre de guerre et qu'il est synonyme de Nakajima comme pilote

Tony Fernandes Q&A: I’d give Lotus an A grade

They may still be stuck on zero points, but the 2010 season has progressed so well for debutants Lotus that they look increasingly likely to finish the year as the best of the three new teams and clinch the all-important tenth spot in the constructors’ championship. For a team that only came into being a year ago, it’s an excellent achievement, and with some key announcements about their future due in Singapore next weekend, team principal Tony Fernandes is understandably feeling proud. He speaks exclusively to Formula1.com...

Q: Tony, we’re at the end of the European season and we are now set to head back to Asia for the Singapore Grand Prix. How would you rate the team’s performance so far this year?
Tony Fernandes: At this stage I'd give us an A grade and I'd say it's been a fantastic season for the team in its first year. There have obviously been highs and lows, but just being on the grid in Bahrain was an incredible achievement, and now 14 races in, it still feels like the dream is coming true.

Q: Does Formula One racing always prove to be more expensive than people believe it will be?
TF: I don't think that's true, if you have the right people making the right decisions. The credit in our team has to go to Mike (chief technical officer, Gascoyne) and the boys. They said they'd have to spend a certain amount to get us to where we are now, and that's exactly what they've done. We've been on budget to the penny. I think Formula One needs to re-examine itself and the costs need to be kept in check. Many of the technical changes that were brought in to reduce costs haven't done so, and in many cases they have actually increased costs. This won't encourage more new teams to come into our sport, so it's incumbent on all the teams to make sure they stay on budget, and that the whole sport works to keep the costs down over the long term.

Q: The team's performance, relative to its closest rivals, doesn't seem to have dropped, despite a public announcement you are already focusing on the 2011 car. That must make you very proud of the work being done back at the factory, as well as on track?
TF: I'm extremely proud of the job every single member of the team has been doing since day one. The other teams continue to develop their cars and yet we seem to stay just ahead of them on track, which is obviously great for the team's morale. The decision to stop development of this year's car was a hard one, but the right one. Lotus Racing is not about just one year - it's about the long term, so the decision to start work on next year's car as early we did shows that we are making the right long-term strategic decisions. It's funny - I'm obviously looking forward to the remaining races this season, and the battle with our nearest rivals is great for the fans and for all the teams involved, but for all of us next year is going to be very exciting.

Q: You’ll no longer be a ‘new team’ next year and your objectives will obviously change, with points and on-track performance even more important. How do you personally plan to maintain your enthusiasm for the challenges ahead in year two?
TF: The truth is my enthusiasm levels are rising all the time, and you have to remember I've done this before. Air Asia is a classic case - there was an initial honeymoon period when we took over, and you relish the change that takes place when you go from underdog to challenger. Now everyone sees us as a real threat, and they want to try and take us on, and I hope we have the same thing here. At the moment everyone is nice to us, everyone respects us, but I'm sure that will change as we move up the grid.

Q: The decision to switch from Cosworth power was not too much of a surprise as there had been rumours for a while. But what about your driver line-up for next year? Can you shed any light on that?
TF: This year we had to take a very brave decision, to sign two drivers we pay, and I think that put down a marker about how serious we are in F1. They've both been superb this year - Jarno (Trulli) was immense in Italy, and Heikki (Kovalainen) has been a really positive source of energy in the team. It's great for everyone to have such an enthusiastic source of energy around all the time, and that can lift everyone. So let’s wait and see. On the engine side, we've been extremely pleased with Cosworth all season. Williams have proved what a good engine it is, but our problem has been with hydraulics, and with the gearbox, as we saw in Monza on Jarno's car. So for a smaller team, we can't develop that overnight, and that led to the decision to switch. We'll always be very good friends with Cosworth, and are immensely grateful for their input and help in our first season, and that will never change.

Q: You're a busy man, to say the least - there’s AirAsia, Tune Group, Lotus Racing and everything else you're involved with. How long do you see yourself staying on as team principal?
TF: Maybe I've always meant to remain as team principal! I've had a fantastic level of support at FOTA, and when I haven't been at the meetings I've had messages saying ‘you've got to come!’ Initially, I wanted the AirAsia shareholders to feel confident that I was devoting enough time to the business, but after another record year I think they've realised I can do both. I have a fantastic CEO in Riad (Asmat), and an amazing CTO in Mike, and with video conferencing, blackberries, email and every other form of communication at our disposal, I think I'll be team principal for a few more years.

Q: Do you ever have time to sleep?
TF: Ha! Do you know what, I normally struggle to sleep, but in Italy I was sleeping really well! I had to ask Harry Nuttall to wake me up every morning - I think that maybe the Italian air was helping me sleep! I think Jean Todt and Bernie Ecclestone have made going racing fun, and while it's hard work, it's fantastic and I love every minute of it.

Big one a écrit:C'est moi où le site de l'écurie Lotus est fermé?

http://lotusracing.my/

An F1 mess developing in Malaysia
September 22, 2010 by joesaward

We are hearing that the Lotus-ART announcement last night is not merely about GP2 and GP3 and seems to be a precursor to a battle over the rights to use the Lotus name in Formula 1. From what we are hearing, Group Lotus, which is owned by the Malaysian government-controlled Proton car company, has embarked on three legal actions to stop Tony Fernandes from using the Lotus name next year. The Group applied for various trademarks relating to Lotus Racing earlier this year. The group is also believed to have withdrawn permission to allow Fernandes to use the Lotus name and is claiming that David Hunt, the owner of Team Lotus Ventures Ltd, had no right to sell the rights and logos to the Team Lotus name. The apparent aim of all this is to grab the Lotus name and to enter F1 with a Lotus-branded team, run by ART.

The bad news is that all of this is not on very solid legal ground. The Lotus company dates back to 1952 when Colin Chapman established the first Lotus company, called Lotus Engineering. Team Lotus, which ran cars in competition, became a separate entity two years later, while Lotus Engineering developed into Group Lotus in 1958, when the company began to build production road cars.

After Colin Chapman’s death in 1982 the Lotus companies were re-organized and Group Lotus was re-financed with capital from British Car Auctions, Toyota and various other parties. In January 1986 General Motors bought out most of the Group shareholders and, by the end of the year, had acquired a 91% stake in the road car business. This firm would later be sold on to Italian businessman Romano Artioli before Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) bought control in 1996.

While all this was going on Team Lotus was a separate entity, controlled by the Chapman Family. In 1975 the racing operations were transferred to a firm called Team Lotus International Ltd and a trademark application was made in 1988 for a “Team Lotus”, including the celebrated CABC logo. At the end of 1990 two former Lotus employees, Peter Wright and Peter Collins, took control of the F1 team, with a company called Team Lotus Limited, with the rights to the name and logo being assigned to this new organisation. Four years later this latter operation went into administration and a firm called Paintglossy Limited (later renamed Team Lotus Ventures Limited) bought the rights to the name and logo from the administrator. The “Team Lotus” trademark process was completed in January 1995, specifically in relation to Formula 1 racing.

Group Lotus challenged this decision in the courts in 1998 – after the Proton takeover – and lost. Thus Group Lotus has no real legal claim on Team Lotus, based on the decisions made up to now. There is no reason to suppose that a new legal action will be any more successful than previous ones. It seems that Tony Fernandes has now acquired the rights and logos from Team Lotus Ventures Ltd and so, in theory, has the right to call his organisation Team Lotus. The Chapman Family seems to be in agreement with this situation – which is a point of some importance.

Fernandes is very well-connected in Malaysia. For the last nine years he has run Air Asia, which was established in 1993 by the Malaysian government’s DRB-Hicom. This fell quickly into debt and in 2001 the then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad sold it to Fernandes for one ringgit. He then pulled off an amazing revival.

Proton is a loss-making state-owned automobile company. Its ownership of Lotus has made little difference. The Proton board decided in September 2009 to hire Dany Bahar as the firm’s new chief executive. He was employed at Ferrari at the time and brought in a number of Ferrari people as he set about revamping the firm, trying to turn it into a Malaysian version of Ferrari (albeit based in England). All of this probably explains why there have been conflicting reports in recent days regarding the Lotus engine supply next year. Team Lotus is believed to have a deal with Renault, but Group Lotus and ART seem to be keen to use the old Toyota F1 base and equipment. The price tag on this is about $30 million a year and the deal is for two years. Toyota provides Lotus with road car engines and so Bahar is obviously trying to stitch together the various elements of the deal to Ferrari-fy Lotus. There is currently no F1 entry for Lotus ART, which will require further investment.

The bottom line of all this is that there is probably going to be a power struggle in Malaysia to see whether Proton’s masters support Bahar or Fernandes. It is a case of my politician is stronger than your politician. Bahar is guy with ideas, but Fernandes has had solid and impressive results in the past and he seems to hold most of the cards with regard to the Team Lotus name. He also has an F1 entry, which is more than can be said for Bahar (at least as far as we know).