Lotus reveal Lotus Cosworth T127 (Gallery & Video)
Lotus have today launched their 2010 challenger – the Lotus Cosworth T127 at the Royal Horticultural Hall in London.
Team Principal Tony Fernandes was joined with drivers Jarno Trulli, Heikki Kovalainen and Fairuz Fauzy to take the wraps off the car in front of a 500 strong live audience. Fernandes said:
“I am extremely proud to be here today and to be able to show the world the fruits of the team’s hard work over the last five months. It’s humbling for me and my fellow shareholders, Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin to see how a team that five months ago didn’t even exist is now a thriving workforce, full of enthusiasm and passion for Lotus Racing and the challenges ahead and capable of producing such a beautiful machine in such a short time.
“Now we’ve achieved two major milestones; confirming our entry and unveiling our car, but now the real work starts. Next we move on to testing and the season ahead and I’m confident that the team will exceed expectations wherever we go, and will do so on a wave of support around the world that has been growing daily since we first unleashed Lotus Racing back in September ’09.”
Tony Fernandes
Also on the stage as the car was unveiled was Lotus’ Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne who added:
“The last few months have been some of the most challenging of my career, but it’s been a challenge the whole team and I have thrived on since we first started work on the car up in Norfolk. I’m delighted that we’ve reached this point, and now we have a beautiful car that gives us a great base to work from for the season ahead and a fighting chance of going racing in the right way, with a winning mentality. The hard part starts now, and I know everyone in the team and I are up for whatever lies ahead.”
Mike Gascoyne
Lotus have based the livery on Team Lotus' classic green & gold. This is Jim Clark driving in the 1967 Lotus 49.
The Lotus livery has gone back to the classic green & gold livery used in the days of Team Lotus, and this seems to have divided opinions; here are some of my followers on Twitter’s opinions:
Cubejam: “@AnF1Blog_com So true to the old team. Beautiful at every angle. Front runner of the new comers for sure”
stephfarnsworth: “@AnF1Blog_com at first I thought disgusting now I’m thinking a bit dull and dark. It hasn’t won me over.”
TommyB89: “@AnF1Blog_com Dull”
Read what other people are saying about the Lotus below:
Below is a gallery of the Lotus Cosworth T127 which includes studio shots and pics from the car’s first shakedown at Silverstone which was driven by the team’s test driver Fairuz Fauzy:
Video
Here is a video of the car’s Silverstone shakedown:
Lotus have a new website.
What do you think of the new livery? Leave a comment!
Images (C) Lotus Racing
It's on: Tony Fernandes vs Richard Branson
…was the headline on the official website of the new Lotus F1 team in reaction to the challenge that has been accepted by team boss Tony Fernandes after Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Racing said that the loser in the Formula 1 stakes has to dress up as an airline stewardess on the winner’s airline – Fernandes’ AirAsia or Branson’s Virgin Atlantic.
“Bring it on, the sexier the better.”
…was Fernandes’ response, with the Lotus team even posting a spoof image shown above of Branson dressed up as an air hostess. He continued:
“It’s quite fitting, don’t you think? Our passengers will be delighted to be served by a Knight of the Realm. But, knowing Richard, the real challenge will be to prevent him from asking our guests ‘coffee, tea or me?’ That would be scary.”
My Thoughts
Well, who do I want to be the winner of the challenge? It has to be Fernandes after his genius quip about the matchbox car and the Branson comment. Sorry, but Lotus are my team of choice over Virgin!
Jarno Trulli signs for Lotus, di Grassi to follow?
We reported earlier that Lotus team boss Tony Fernandes had announced by his Twitter account that he was to announce the drivers he had signed for the team’s debut season on Monday.
However, it seems he may as well call off the announcement as according to an AP source Jarno Trulli has been signed for the team, with strong rumours linking Lucas di Grassi with the new Malaysian-backed team. di Grassi has confirmed earlier this week that he will be in F1 next season with one of the four new teams.
A person familiar with Jarno Trulli told The Associated Press that then 35-year-old Italian has signed for the team.
Trulli was left without a drive when Toyota left F1 at the end of the 2009 season. He is a veteran of 219 races, collecting 246.5 career points but just one win since his first race in 1997. He has driven for Jordan, Renault and Toyota.
Lotus to name drivers on Monday
Formula One team Lotus are set to announce their drivers for the 2010 season on Monday.
On Twitter, Lotus boss Tony Fernandes wrote:
“Bringing home 2 drivers for the Lotus F1 team. Announcement Monday.”
Jarno Trulli is the runaway favourite for one of the seats, in a move which would see him reunited with Mike Gascoyne, now chief technical director at Lotus.
However, it’s all gone quiet about Villeneuve, and there’s been nothing said about a drive for Kovalainen, but there’s still the remaining Renault seat up for grabs amongst others.
You can follow Tony Fernandes on twitter here, and anf1blog_com here.
Teams agree to joint car launch
Today it has been announced that all 13 Formula 1 teams who will compete in 2010 will have a joint car launch.
This cost-cutting initiative is likely to take place at the Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias complex in Valencia on January 30, and is backed by most teams.
Mercedes Chief Executive Nick Fry said;
“We’ve agreed among the teams to do a joint launch. It’s a demonstration of how we’re working together.”
The boss of the new team Lotus – Tony Fernandes said that the supposed launch on January 30 2010 is too soon for his team, who plan to roll out their car in February. He joked;
“I won’t have a car at that time. I could come with a Matchbox car.”
Lotus sign driver for 2010.
The Lotus team boss Tony Fernandes has announced through his Twitter account that the team have signed a driver for the 2010 F1 season, but he hasn’t revealed the driver’s identity.
This is the first driver that Lotus have signed for their rookie season.
Fernandes said their would be an official announcement soon.
“One Malaysia formula one team aka lotus has signed it’s first driver. Public announcement soon. The dream continues.”
The Malaysian backed team are aiming for a roll out of the new car in mid-February to test it before the season opener in Bahrain in March.
Lotus appoint chief executive.
Malaysia’s Lotus Formula One team has today announced they have appointed Riad Asmat as chief executive who will oversee the team’s motorsport programme.
Asmat who is 38, was a general manager at Proton prior to this appointment, will work with the new Malaysian backed F1 team Lotus, whom are aiming for a roll out of the new car in mid-February to test it before the season opener in Bahrain in March.
Team principal Tony Fernandes said:
“Riad’s expertise, which is a good blend of both corporate experience and motorsports knowledge, will provide the dynamic and success-oriented leadership that the 1Malaysian team requires,”
“I’m confident that his knowledge of motorsports coupled with vast experience will contribute to the success of the 1 Malaysia F1 Team.”
“All of us in the 1Malaysia Formula One Team understand that this is a very important first step for the nation,”
“We’ll make it our key objective to build a very strong and robust foundation moving forward.”