The 2010 Challengers: The Lotus Racing T127

[Ed]

The Lotus Racing Formula 1 team became the 11th team to unveil their 2010 challenger.


more photos below

LOTUS RACING UNVEILS LOTUS COSWORTH T127

Lotus Racing today unveiled its 2010 challenger, the Lotus Cosworth T127, at a glittering event in London’s Royal Horticultural Hall. Team Principal Tony Fernandes was joined on stage by Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne and drivers Jarno Trulli, Heikki Kovalainen and Fairuz Fauzy to take the wraps off the car in front of a 500 strong live audience.

As the lights came up the car’s stunning green and yellow livery was seen for the first time, striking an emotional chord with both young and old alike and evoking memories of some of motor racing’s most iconic moments in an entirely contemporary fashion.

Tony Fernandes gave his thoughts on the astonishing achievement the Lotus Racing team has accomplished in launching the car just five short months since the team was granted its entry to the FIA Formula One World Championships, saying: “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.”

Mike Gascoyne added his thoughts, saying “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.”

The Lotus Racing T127 is powered by Cosworth and will use an Xtrac gearbox and, in line with all 2010 teams, will be running on Bridgestone tyres.

[Jim Watt]

Well Blow me down! That more of the 27 people voting think Lotus will finish 4th or 5th than below fifth is a testimony to the lasting strength of the name, Lotus.

I like the livery; I think it's interesting that they've got the wing so low and the nose so high. Are they trying to follow Mercedes and Ross?

But the engine. Is. Still, a Cossie.

good luck, chaps

jim watt

[Julian Mayo]

Gascoine has produced the ducks guts, it looks right. The drivers, while being bloody good (as is anyone who makes it to F1), are not in my top ten, which leaves the team outside of the 5. I also have doubts about the fuel hungry Cossie.

[mlittle]

There's an interesting article over at SpeedTV.com concerning some interesting plans Lotus Racing potentially have in the works for 2010 outside of Formula 1........


INDYCAR: Lotus Back To Indy?

In the article, written by Racecar Engineering's Sam Collins, Lotus is on the verge of announcing a return to the Brickyard for this year's running of the Indianapolis 500 under the banner of "Team Lotus USA". In the article, Lotus Motorsport Director Claudio Berro was quoted as saying,

The Indycar dream is very real for us. We are talking to an existing team about forging an alliance. The American marketplace is very important for Lotus and there is a pedigree and history at the Indy 500. When people think of Lotus they think of competition and racing, it is important that we get back to putting that message across. The Indycar program is a big project and we need to join with an existing team to begin with, because that is the easiest way in terms of logistics. We only have a few weeks to sort the deal out because the start of the season is very close. The reunification of Champ Car and Indycar makes it much simpler for us and it is an area we are excited about. To run the Honda engine is not a problem in the first instance, even there we have history. The Indy 500 is iconic and it will only do the Lotus brand good to be there.

FWIW, if this pans out and Lotus Racing does make the trip to Indy this year, this would be a good shot in the arm for not just Lotus Racing but conversely it'd be good for Indycar Racing in North America. Lotus competed at the Brickyard during the sport's Golden Era of the 60's; considering the straits AOWR is in at present, it couldn't hurt having an F1 presence on Memorial Day Weekend. Who knows.........maybe one day we could see the American cousins' to the Scuderia, the Silver Arrows and other F1 icons once again make the trans-Atlantic trip to Indy.........one can only dream.



----1963 Lotus 29 driven by Jim Clark; he finished 2nd in the 500 that year behind Parnelli Jones


----1968 STP Lotus 56 driven by Joe Leonard; finished 11th in the 500 that year