BBC sources are reporting that Lotus are close to a Renault engine deal, and that the Malaysian-backed team will not stay with current suppliers Cosworth into 2011.
Lotus have been the best new team of the season so far, and the engines are reliable and powerful enough, so it is surprising that the team are jumping to a different supplier for next season. Lotus team boss Tony Fernandes and technical director Mike Gascoyne had a meeting with Renault on Sunday morning at the British Grand Prix.
Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell are among the drivers who have previously raced Renault-powered Lotus cars in Formula 1, and a Lotus-Renault partnership was responsible for the former’s first Grand Prix win at Estoril in 1985.
Other engine suppliers are Mercedes who power their works team and has a long-term relationship with championship leaders McLaren, and Force India. Ferrari supplies its works team, Toro Rosso and Sauber.
This leaves the only other two candidates; Renault who supplies its works team and Red Bull, and Cosworth who supply the three new teams and Williams. Cosworth made an F1 return this year after 3 years out from the sport, and have provided the most reliable engines so far. Ferrari on the other hand have supplied the least reliable engine figures, as you can see below:
Engine reliability
| Engine | Cars | Failures | % |
| Cosworth | 8 | 2 | 2.5% |
| Ferrari | 6 | 5 | 8.3% |
| Mercedes | 6 | 2 | 3.3% |
| Renault | 4 | 2 | 5.0% |
If it happens then it;s a good move for Lotus. It has this image of them mopving forward and would be a good idea. It’s probably got more punch than the new Cosworth units and has great fuel consumption meaning they can have a smaller fuel tank and add lightness, very Lotus.