Mike Gascoyne presents Lotus’s objectives

Lotus is a team that is historic in more ways than one in the discipline. The British team’s record speaks for itself: 491 Grand Prix contested for 79 victories, 7 constructors’ titles, and 6 drivers’ titles with Jim Clark (1963 and 1965), Graham Hill (1968), Jochen Rindt (1970), Emerson Fittipaldi (1972), and Mario Andretti (1978). Other great names have also driven for Lotus, such as Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, Mika Hakkinen, and Ronnie Peterson, to name a few. Moreover, it was led by a genius engineer, Colin Chapman, who is notably credited with the discovery of ground effect.

Last entry in the Formula 1 World Championship in 2010, if we exclude BMW-Sauber, the Lotus team will fly the Malaysian flag. It is supported by a partnership between the Malaysian government and a consortium of Malaysian entrepreneurs.

Lotus, in its 2010 version, will initially be based in Norfolk, England, before its future design center, research and development facilities, factory, and technical center are moved near the Sepang circuit.

It will be led by Tony Fernandes, founder of the Malaysian consortium, Tune Group, which owns the airline Air-Asia Airlines.

Mike Gascoyne, with 20 years of experience in Formula 1 and having worked notably for Jordan, Renault, Toyota, and more recently, Force India, has made his return to F1 as the technical director of the team.

“We are not just a small team, we really have the opportunity to be a significant team,” said Gascoyne to BBC Sport. “And the FIA has recognized this, associated with the [team’s] name and the fact that we will be based outside Europe. Looking at the calendar, it’s clear that the geographical center of F1 is shifting.”

The next season is going to be a huge challenge. The car design has already started, but we are not yet at full speed. We have a wind tunnel in Italy and will begin testing in a few weeks. We have an ambitious program.

« So, yes, we are prepared, and I believe I am being very realistic in stating that, despite the enormous amount of work that awaits us to be fully ready on the Melbourne grid, we will get there. »

« We will finalize the car late with all the reliability aspects that it implies. But our goal is to produce the best of the new cars on the grid and I want to hope that by mid-season, we will be fighting with the current teams. It’s achievable. »

Asked about the exact involvement of Lotus Cars, the original company owned since 1996 by Proton, a Malaysian car designer, Gascoyne added: « This has to be defined, we are discussing it with Proton and Tony Fernandes. I think I will be able to clarify this in the coming days. »

A statement from the Malaysian government indicates that: « The team will announce its two drivers on October 31, 2009. Currently, six drivers, both local and international, have been selected, » The Malaysian Prime Minister added: « It’s no longer a dream, it’s reality: Malaysia is in F1 and we will do everything we can to make our mark. »