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.

 

[soccerman17]

Caterham (formerly lotus) (formerly an F1 team)

 

[Titch]

I see Fernandes is threatening to walk away from his football team now.

He's a serial buyer and destroyer. He should be banned from buying any other clubs/teams, before he destroys the entire sporting nation.

 

[gethinceri]

Can he please buy Chelsea?

 

[FB]

I suspect he has his eye on Portsmouth just to add to the list of dodgy owners who have left the club in the crap.

 

[Titch]

It's really looking bad for them . Their debts are horrendous.

 

[cider_and_toast]

With no clear idea who owns what and with a massive debt, they're gone. I'd like to feel sympathy for them (and certainly do for all of the staff effected by the closure) but it's not helped by the fact that they had so much potential and managed, for a number of reasons to balls it all up.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

Can he please buy Chelsea?

No, Hands Off!

 

[FB]

You knew Lotus/Caterham weren't going to be any good when Mike Gascoyne turned up as technical director. How do these people keep getting jobs in the industry? It's like the circle of football managers when they get a team relegated, get the sack, turn up at another team just to get them relegated.

 

[Andyoak]

Or teachers in the LEA loop (DUCK)

 

[The Pits]

You knew Lotus/Caterham weren't going to be any good when Mike Gascoyne turned up as technical director. How do these people keep getting jobs in the industry? It's like the circle of football managers when they get a team relegated, get the sack, turn up at another team just to get them relegated.

They got so much better since he moved on.....

To be fair to Mike G, he may not be the best TD, but he had experience, and did ok at Jordan.

 

[Il_leone]

Was Mike Gascoyne still on Caterham's payroll at the time the team went into administration

- Whilst they are questions whether he is in Newey's league but he is a decent designer . He did good at Jordan and Renault. His stint at Toyota did not work out because he obviously felt the directions they were going in was not quite right for him

 

[Il_leone]

Tony Fernandes - seems to have this persona that he is a very passionate businessman and is willing to invest . The trouble seems to be no one tells him or appears to advise the costs of failure if the results do not come

- Lotus/Caterham were going the right way but he realised it was too expensive just to earn $10m
- QPR - obviously the money every season is attractive but how did he think signing 29 players one summer on overpaid wages was going to transform his team??

 

[Brogan]

One good thing to come out of Caterham going bust.
It stopped Barrichello returning: http://adamcooperf1.com/2014/11/04/caterham-withdrawal-stopped-surprise-barrichello-comeback/

 

[cider_and_toast]

Noooh

I would have loved that. One last hurrah for Rubens.

Curse you F1 you are a cruel mistress.

 

[soccerman17]

As much as I love Rubens he didn't need to come back and ride around at the back obeying blue flags in a Caterham.

 

[FB]

It's like a drug isn't it? These guys just can't keep away even if they don't have the speed anymore.

 

[Splash]

Nice pun.

 

[Brogan]

Caterham have officially entered next season: http://www.fia.com/2015-fia-f1-world-championship-entry-list

 

[soccerman17]

Does it cost anything to "officially enter" if you already have a license to race? Because if not then why wouldn't they, even if they have no intents of actually racing?

 

[F1Yorkshire]

It's more likely the case of if they don't make an entry by a certain date then they won't be included so safer to have the entry in place just in case the administrators manage to get them out of the deep hole that they are in.