Caterham (formerly Lotus)

Team Lotus

FIA Entry: Team Lotus
Car 20: Heikki Kovaleinen
Car 21: Jarno Trulli
Engine: Renault V8
Team Principal: Tony Fernandes
Technical Director: Mike Gascoyne
Race Engineer Car 20: Juan Pablo Ramirez
Race Engineer Car 21: Gianluca Pisanello

Stats as of end 2010

First Entered 2010
Races Entered 20
Race Wins 0
Pole Positions 0
Fastest Laps 0
Driver World Championships 0
Constructor World Championships 0

Team Lotus

Tony Fernandes' 1Malaysia F1 team lay claim to one of the most iconic names in F1, Team Lotus. Team Lotus, under the guidance of one of the greatest innovators in F1 Colin Chapman, was in F1 from 1958 to 1994. They took part in 491 Grands Prix, winning 73 races, 7 Constructors Titles, 6 Drivers Championships, 102 poles and 65 fastest laps. During this time some of the greatest F1 drivers drove for Team Lotus including Jim Clark, Stirling Moss, Ayrton Senna, Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jochen Rindt and Nigel Mansell.

2010 Team Lotus

With the support of the Malaysian government via Proton cars and two Malaysian Companies, Tune and Naza Groups, Tony Fernandes entered F1 under the Team Lotus name. Using Cosworth engines and Xtrac gearboxes Lotus signed up experienced drivers for their first season in F1 with Heikki Kovaleinen and Jarno Trulli.

The cars proved reasonably reliable although not quick enough to threaten the mid-field teams. Kovaleinen managed Lotus’ best finish with a 12th place in Japan and the team, based on count back of non-points scoring finishes, were placed 10th in the Constructors Championship – the best of the new teams for 2010.

2011

Lotus announced during 2010 that they would switch to Renault engines for 2011 along with Red Bull gearbox and hydraulic technology. The same driver line up is retained and they will use the T128 chassis.

Whether the team continue to use the Lotus name will be decided in the British High Court. Proton, owners of the Group Lotus name, have moved their allegiance to the former Renault team although ownership of the Team Lotus name is in dispute as this was owned by David Hunt, brother of 1976 World Champion James and sold to Fernandes.

 

[FB]

I thought they lost the bond they lodged with the FIA if they don't complete the season. Might be cheaper for TF to lose this than carry on running the team.

 

[Il_leone]

why should anyone be surprised?

He's got a bigger gold mine in premiership football with QPR. After his disastrous venture last time signing a ridiculous 29 players one summer with some of them past their best and only in for the money

He will make sure he does not get his fingers burnt by agents and so called football experts

 

[Greenlantern101]

It's not for sale. It's not for sale. It's not for sale. It's not for sale.

It's for sale.

Staff being told today. And it's being bought by Arabs from Switzerland. All sounds very credible.

http://www.auto123.com/en/racing-ne...twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_campaign=feeds

 

[RasputinLives]

Yes. Almost as credible as the people taking over Enstone last year.

It is Switzerland though so no one questions the source of the money too much. I'm expecting an announcement that the team name will be changed to "Stolen Nazi Gold Racing" any moment.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Colin Kolles and Christian Albers to the rescue. It's a cant miss combination!

 

[RasputinLives]

Indeed. Interesting that a Dutchmen will now be running the team whikst another very talented Dutchmen is sitting on the sidelines as a test driver. I wonder if Albers is going to push to put Frinjs in a race seat.

Good to see the team not drop out but I can't really see an improvement in performance coming any time soon.

 

[KekeTheKing]

I think its likely that Frijns will get a chance to race before the year is through Ras

This takeover has to be a good sign for Formula One in general, because if there are people out there willing to take on the task of turning around Caterham, in the position they currently find themselves in, then its hard to imagine any other current team being so unattractive to potential investors that they just fall off the grid completely.

 

[Greenlantern101]

Lets start the bidding at 1p. I have 1p from the man wearing the wet suit and a firemans helmet in the front row, do I hear 2 pence, YES thank you, the bid is with the dribbling gent in the pink underpants, do I have a bid of 3 pence, thank you, the bid is with crazy cat woman in the back row. 4 pence thank you the insane business consortium next to the man holding 3 ducks. ... any more bids....going once... twice..SOLD.

 

[RasputinLives]

"Hey I just bought an F1 team for ridiculous money!"

"Wow thats great! How did your first qualifying session go?"

"Both cars failed to meet the 107% qualifying rule.......they gave permission for us to race though.....as long as we start at the back"

"So do you think it was a good investment so far?"

 

[KekeTheKing]

How many drivers are currently linked with Caterham? It seems there's a new guy jumping on board every week!

Hopefully this means Rossi can get out. His best chance will be the Haas outfit.

 

[Il_leone]

More mess for Caterham... oh dear

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/28491380

 

[FB]

Didn't Bernie mutter something about hoping Caterham pull out recently?

 

[Il_leone]

FB

What would that achieve then apart from Marussia automatically getting 10th place ( they are 9th at the moment ) in the constructors

 

[FB]

I have no idea Il_leone but my memory wasn't playing tricks:

http://www.givemesport.com/482492-bernie-ecclestone-wants-caterham-co-to-quit-f1

 

[RasputinLives]

Yeah he made the same statement about Marussia last year.

Basically Bernie doesn't want any cash struggling teams in F1 so that when he gets ask about F1 making cost cuts he can say they are not needed as none of the teams are struggling for cash. Also it means when they ask for more money from him he can say that they can't need it as there are no cash struggling teams on the grid.

Basically lets solve poverty by killing all the poor people. Then everyone is prosperous.

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives - thats Bernie with his megalomaniac capitalist view.. bordering on Darwinism ideally - survival of the fittest .

He has no sympathy for cash strapped teams being in f1 when they cannot afford it

 

[teabagyokel]

He has no empathy.

 

[Bleu]

And if there was eight teams of three cars teams like Lotus and STR would be in much worse situation. Then Bernie could go on with "It would be better if we had six teams having four cars"

 

[cider_and_toast]

Some of Caterham's achievements under Tony Fernandes:

1) Dragged the name of a legendary F1 team through the dirt in an, all Malaysian political pissing contest

2) Shown struggling teams that if you ditch a quick driver who you are paying and replace him with a poor driver who can pay you, your results will actually get worse.

3) Shown that if you change your drivers every five minutes things will get worse.

4) Shown that multi millionaires are better off throwing their money at football teams.

5) Shown that when it comes to nose design it is possible to make something that is **** ugly look even more **** ugly if you really try.

Any others?

 

[RasputinLives]

Shown that it ain't the size of your budget but knowing how to use it that counts in F1?

Actual Ferrari might have copyright on that one.