After two seasons finishing in tenth place without scoring a single point, Team Lotus wants to take a step forward in 2012. To do this, the Anglo-Malaysian team is looking to strengthen in all areas. The first of these is engineering. That’s why they have just hired John Iley as the performance director.<\/p>\n
As is often the case in recruitments made by Tony Fernandes’ team, John Iley has already collaborated with the team’s technical director, Mike Gascoyne, as the two men previously worked together at Jordan and Renault.<\/p>\n
While the title of performance director is rarely used in Formula 1, it is nonetheless essential as the Briton will be in charge of all matters related to aerodynamics and the design of the single-seater. Nevertheless, he will have a very limited impact on the 2012 Hingham single-seater since he will only be released from his position as director of aerodynamics at McLaren in June 2012.<\/p>\n
Riad Asmat, the CEO of Caterham Group, stated: “We are absolutely delighted that John has accepted the challenge we proposed to him, to take us to the next level both on and off the track in one of the key areas of performance in Formula 1. That we can attract someone of John’s caliber is a true sign of our growth and development as a serious contender to win in the long term.”<\/p>\n