The famous Lotus name will be back on the F1 grid next year, the FIA has confirmed. The governing body revealed on Tuesday that the Lotus F1 Team entry has been accepted to fill the vacant space left by the departing BMW Sauber, which has also submitted what has been described as an 'impressive application'.
With 13 positions currently available on the grid next year and several entries left to select following BMW's July announcement that it will be pulling out of the sport, governing body the FIA confirmed on Tuesday that the Lotus name will be returning to the sport for the first time since 1994.
However, the Paris federation also gave hope to the Hinwil-based team, who had also applied for the 13th and final 2010 entry in the wake of BMW's decision to quit the sport.
The FIA described Sauber's application as "impressive", but said Lotus had been selected for the definite 2010 entry because "there are still uncertainties" about the former team's future ownership.
Sauber has instead been awarded the "14th place" in the 2010 pitlane, even though at present the sporting regulations and Concorde Agreement allow a maximum of 13 teams.
But the 14th place entitles Sauber "to fill any vacancy that arises on the 2010 grid", and in the meantime the FIA will "urgently" commence talks with F1's existing teams about expanding the grid to 28 cars in time for next season.
The latest version of the Lotus team will be funded by both the Malaysian government and a consortium of Malaysian entrepreneurs. The full title of the outfit will be 1Malaysia F1 Team, based at the factory of RTN in Norfolk, England. The building, only ten miles from Lotus Cars, was originally built for Toyota's F1 organisation at the start of the decade before Bentley used the facility for its Le Mans team.
Funding will be provided by the Malaysian Tune Group - the company behind airline Air Asia and headed by Tony Fernandes, who will also be Team Principal - with Mike Gascoyne making his Formula One return as Technical Director, having left Force India last year.
The team will be using Cosworth engines with gearboxes provided by Xtrac and aerodynamics developed by FondTech.
Source: http://f1insight.blogspot.com
With 13 positions currently available on the grid next year and several entries left to select following BMW's July announcement that it will be pulling out of the sport, governing body the FIA confirmed on Tuesday that the Lotus name will be returning to the sport for the first time since 1994.
However, the Paris federation also gave hope to the Hinwil-based team, who had also applied for the 13th and final 2010 entry in the wake of BMW's decision to quit the sport.
The FIA described Sauber's application as "impressive", but said Lotus had been selected for the definite 2010 entry because "there are still uncertainties" about the former team's future ownership.
Sauber has instead been awarded the "14th place" in the 2010 pitlane, even though at present the sporting regulations and Concorde Agreement allow a maximum of 13 teams.
But the 14th place entitles Sauber "to fill any vacancy that arises on the 2010 grid", and in the meantime the FIA will "urgently" commence talks with F1's existing teams about expanding the grid to 28 cars in time for next season.
The latest version of the Lotus team will be funded by both the Malaysian government and a consortium of Malaysian entrepreneurs. The full title of the outfit will be 1Malaysia F1 Team, based at the factory of RTN in Norfolk, England. The building, only ten miles from Lotus Cars, was originally built for Toyota's F1 organisation at the start of the decade before Bentley used the facility for its Le Mans team.
Funding will be provided by the Malaysian Tune Group - the company behind airline Air Asia and headed by Tony Fernandes, who will also be Team Principal - with Mike Gascoyne making his Formula One return as Technical Director, having left Force India last year.
The team will be using Cosworth engines with gearboxes provided by Xtrac and aerodynamics developed by FondTech.
Source: http://f1insight.blogspot.com