Lotus Secure Final F1 Grid Spot
Lotus are to return to F1 next season for the first time since 1994 after the team was awarded the final grid spot for the 2010 line-up.
The Malaysian-funded outfit join Campos GP, Manor and US F1 as one of four new teams for 2010.
The FIA has given current team BMW Sauber ’14th place’ for next season, meaning they are now first reserves.
However, motorsport’s governing body says it will ‘consult urgently’ with the 10 existing teams to expand the grid from 13 to 14 teams for 2010.
‘The FIA believes that a good case can be made for expanding the grid to 14 teams,’ read an FIA statement.
‘It will be consulting urgently with the existing teams regarding the introduction of an appropriate rule change to expand the grid to 28 cars in time for the first Grand Prix in 2010.’
The Lotus team will be initially based in Norfolk, though its future design, research and development, manufacturing and technical centre will be purpose built at Malaysia’s Sepang International circuit.
In its new incarnation the team is a partnership between the Malaysian Government and a consortium of Malaysian entrepreneurs.
It will be led by team principal Tony Fernandes, the founder of the Malaysian-based Tune Group, which owns the Air Asia airline.
Mike Gascoyne – who has 20 years experience in the sport after working with Jordan, Renault, Toyota, and most recently Force India – returns to F1 as the team’s technical director.
A statement from the Malaysian Government read: ‘The team will announce its two drivers by October 31 2009. Currently six local and international drivers have been selected.’
The organisation behind the new Lotus team have bought the rights to the name Team Lotus – which competed in F1 from 1958 through to 1994 – and have been awarded BMW’s place, also pushing out Spanish outfit Epsilon Euskadi, following an intensive selection and due diligence process conducted by the FIA.
