Lotus back in F1

[ryallm]

http://www.planetf1.com/story/0,18954,3 ... 40,00.html Fantatic news I guess it may just be someone else paying to use the name rather than the guys from Hethel actually engineering the cars, but nice all the same.

Mark

[skellyjohn]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsp ... 256295.stm

[jamiey]

OK... I'm confused. Does this mean that Sauber are being rebranded as Lotus?

So the base will be a shed in Hethel and all the engineering in Switzerland...?

[Shug]

No, it's a new Malaysian backed team based in Norfolk (although nothing to do with the road car operation AFAIK)

Sauber have slot 14 if it becomes available - Lotus are in for sure.

[Bada Bing!]

No, I think Lotus have been given the 13th slot, but if BMW get bought then the grid will expand to 14.

EDIT: What Shug said.

[tuscan_thunder]

Oh God, Mike Gascoyne is involved: he has a reverse midas touch: every project he is involved seems to be a failure.

[kenny]

Oh God, Mike Gascoyne.

Yeah it was looking good up till that point.

I wonder if they have anyone in mind for drivers yet?

[tuscan_thunder]

if they have someone with as pathetic a track record (pun intended) as Gascoyne, they'll probably line up some mediocrity in the shape of Ralf Schumacher or Jarno Trulli Awful.

In seriousness, probably someone like Trulli for the 'experience' he brings and a pay driver, probably someone from the Far East to bring in some funds.

If it was me, I'd bring in a GP2 hard charger like Petrov (Russian so lots of sponsorship potential there too) and try and poach someone with a bit of experience - actually, the likes of Nakajima wouldn't be a bad punt. Anthony Davidson would be a far better bet but maybe lacks the financial backing.

[kenny]

BBC says 6 drivers being considered, a mix of local and international drivers. I am assuming local means Malaysian, only one I can think of is Alex Yoong.

[Doc883]

So more by name than anything else by the sounds of this:
"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".

[tuscan_thunder]

yup, Yoong sprung to my mind. There was one Malaysian guy in GP2 a few years ago but he was pretty poor. Can't remember his name though.

For sponsorship opps, I'd be thinking Russian, Chinese or Indian. Karthakayan? He wasn't that bad. There's an Indian guy in GP2 at the moment too

[Shug]

So more by name than anything else by the sounds of this:
"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".

Hmmmm

Sounding worse by the minute...

[BiggestNizzy]

So more by name than anything else by the sounds of this:
"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".

Hmmmm

Sounding worse by the minute...

From what I understand the malaysian goverment is picking up the tab so I am not suprised

[StiflerMR2]

BMW have found a buyer by the looks of things:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsp ... 256739.stm

[robin]

It's very likely the new Sauber team will get a start - because either the other teams will allow the rule change to add another team, or Toyota/Renault will pull out of the sport.

Cheers,
Robin