Yeah!!!
Lotus granted 13th entry for 2010 season
Tuesday, September 15th 2009, 08:14 GMT
The Lotus F1 team has been awarded the 13th entry in the 2010 Formula 1 championship, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
The FIA said it had also received an “impressive” application from the BMW Sauber team, but given the uncertainty about the ownership of the Hinwil squad the governing body decided to give the entry to Lotus.
More to follow.
The historic Lotus name is poised to return to Formula 1 after submitting an entry for the 2010 championship.
The Norfolk-based Litespeed team have bought the rights to the name Team Lotus, which disappeared from F1 following financial problems in 1994.
Lotus won seven constructors’ crowns and six drivers’ champions, including Jim Clark and Graham Hill, during their golden era in the 1960s and '70s.
The new Team Lotus has lodged an entry for next year as a “cost-capped” team.
They will use Cosworth engines and have a car designed under the leadership of former Toyota and Renault technical director Mike Gascoyne.
Gascoyne told BBC Radio Norfolk the Lotus brand should help the team’s bid to secure a place on the 2010 grid.
"Certainly it should help us, it’s obviously one of the most famous names in Formula 1, and still the fourth most successful constructor in F1 history.
"To come back in with the Lotus name and to be based in Norfolk is a great story for Formula 1.
"We’ve secured the lease to the RTN factory in Hingham near to Lotus and we’ve been in discussion with Lotus and [their parent company] Proton.
“For me to continue my F1 career under the banner of the Team Lotus name and help to bring it back to its deserving place in the world championship is a fantastic feeling and something that I am extremely proud to be doing,” said Gascoyne.
Maybe there will be a few more experience F1 guys available to join the team soon…
Worth spending a couple of minutes to read:
Well quite a few of the current top drivers dont have secured cars and teams for next year so it could get interesting.