DuPont Refinish joins Lotus Racing As An Official Technical Supplier

DuPont Refinish has become an Official Technical Supplier to the Lotus Racing Formula One™ team with immediate effect. The agreement, signed at the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim on Sunday 25 July 2010, sees the paint manufacturer provide full technical support to Lotus Racing, the fastest new team in the 2010 FIA Formula One™ World Championship. Over 600 million global TV viewers will see the DuPont Refinish liquid logo on the team’s T127 race cars during each Grand Prix for the rest of the season, as well as on the team transporter trucks, the team motorhome and in the Lotus Racing garage at race-tracks around the world.

Dupont Refinish Ad

The paint used on Formula One™ cars plays a very important role in the car’s performance both on and off track, which is why DuPont Refinish and its high-tech paint systems is an ideal paint partner for Lotus Racing. Important criteria are low weight, combined with optimum thickness, thermal stability, resistance to mechanical stresses such as stone chips and debris, and colour brilliance to ensure the cars look their best for television audiences and spectators. The Lotus Racing T127 race cars, and the trucks that transport them to races around the world, have all been painted in the already iconic Lotus Racing green and yellow livery with the highly productive DuPont Refinish paint systems. The fast drying properties of the paint also perfectly complement the world of Formula One™ where it is crucial to get the cars back on track as quickly as possible after any body damage.

German GP race action

Tony Fernandes, Lotus Racing Team Principal, comments, “I’m delighted that a company of the calibre of DuPont Refinish has joined us as an Official Technical Supplier. It is a very good example of how far Lotus Racing has already come in our short life that we are attracting such prestigious brands to work with us, and we are all excited about the commercial and brand benefits we will bring each other.”

Michael Maier, DuPont Refinish brand manager, comments, “We are obviously delighted to be supporting Lotus Racing and we hope to keep working together to achieve first-class results.”

German Grand Prix Review

Race day in Germany began with Lotus Racing Chief Mechanic Phil Spencer, Deputy Team Principal Kamarudin Meranun and Chief Executive Officer Riad Asmat paying their respects to Team Lotus legend Jim Clark at his Hockenheim memorial, but it was a disappointing Sunday for the team after both Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen recorded DNFs. Jarno Trulli had a strong start and was running 15th, but retired on lap four after a gearbox problem brought his race to an end. Heikki Kovalainen was running well in the race but was forced to retire on lap 60 after a coming together with de la Rosa’s Sauber.

Jarno in the pitlane, Germany 2010

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) “I made a very good start and then suddenly I lost the gearbox and unfortunately that was it. We tried to reset it in the pit and I went out again but it didn’t work, so I think it was a mechanical issue with the box that brought the race to an early end. It’s very frustrating because I was having a very good weekend, probably the best of the whole season so far, and it’s like the luck just isn’t with me. We’ve got another chance next weekend so I hope the luck changes there.”

Heikki in the German GP

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) “A disappointing end but it was just one of those things that can happen when you’re having to let cars past. It was my mistake but I didn’t see the Sauber coming. I thought I was letting the Williams past, and didn’t see the Sauber so I closed the door and that was the end of the race. It’s a shame because I was running pretty well until then.”

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: “Ultimately a very disappointing day. Jarno lost second gear and had to retire and Heikki had to retire after contact with de la Rosa. Both cars made good starts – we started Jarno on the harder tyre and Heikki on the options to split the strategies, but Jarno’s race was over before he’d really started. Heikki drove a strong race and was comfortably leading the battle of the new teams before contact forced him to retire. Despite this it was still a strong showing from us, and now we move on to Hungary.”

Kamarudin Meranun, Deputy Team Principal: “It’s frustrating because we’d had a good weekend, in practice and qualifying. Very unfortunate for Jarno, and Heikki was doing well so it’s disappointing to see he couldn’t finish the race, not due to a mechanical issue, but because of an incident that was out of our control. So, even though it’s sad, we’ll pull through, and we’ll do a better job in Hungary.”

[press release from Lotus Racing]

Lotus Racing German Grand Prix Preview

Over 120,000 fans are expected on race day at Hockenheim, and, for many of them, seeing the green and yellow Lotus Racing livery back on track will be an emotional moment. The team itself is excited about the next round of the 2010 FIA Formula One™ World Championship, and is looking to build on the strong two car finish they enjoyed last weekend at Silverstone. The layout of the track should suit the T127 better than the flat-out dash around the Northamptonshire countryside, and with the experience they have on both sides of the garage, Lotus Racing is again looking forward to taking the fight to the teams ahead.

Dieter Gass, Lotus Racing Sporting Director “We’re all looking forward to Hockenheim. Obviously the circuit is quite different now from how it used to be in the past – then, it was an extremely difficult circuit on which to find a decent set up – long straights that took you into the forest and then slow corners in the Motodrom stadium section meant it was hard to find a suitable compromise between downforce and grip – you don’t have to make such a big compromise anymore because the straights simply aren’t as long now. But, you still don’t run maximum downforce here – you take a bit of wing off to take account of the straight, and give the driver the chance to overtake at the end of that, in turn six.

“I think our car will suit the circuit well. You have a different speed profile than Silverstone, which didn’t really suit our car, but in Hockenheim I think we’ll be better off. We had a big update package in Silverstone which we couldn’t exploit fully as we were lacking running and setup time, so we’ll be looking to get the best out of that in the Friday and Saturday practice sessions. We’ll be able to play with the ballast a bit more here as well, which will help us find a better balance, and the team have spent some time in the factory this week practicing pitstops, so we should see the times come down in Germany. All in all it should be a good weekend.”

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) “Germany’s always a good race – Hockenheim’s usually hot and the fans make sure there’s a great atmosphere around the whole circuit. The stadium section in particular is amazing – with all the horns blowing, the flags flying and the odd flare being set off, it feels like you are in a football stadium or something. That makes it a great place to watch from if you’re a spectator, and for the drivers it’s cool – we can see all the fans packed into the stands and it looks pretty hardcore.

“The circuit itself is pretty good. You can overtake at the end of the long straight at the hairpin but there aren’t many other places where you can get past. It’s relatively hard on tyres and in the past the heat has made the tyres blister, but we shouldn’t get any of those problems with this year’s tyres. Bridgestone are bringing a super soft and a hard, so there should be a clear performance difference between the two – we’ll see how that shapes up over the weekend.”

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) “Hockenheim has some real history and in its old guise it demanded a lot from the drivers, in terms of setup, driving and in getting all the little details right. However, now it’s a more conventional circuit, and while I like it, I preferred the old layout. I was on the podium there a while back, and I won the German F3 Championship there many years ago, so it does hold a lot of good memories for me. It’s always hot when we go there, and the fans are very passionate, so I hope we can put on a good show for them, and show what Lotus Racing is all about.”

Riad Asmat, Lotus Racing CEO “Firstly it was great to see Fairuz in the car in Silverstone on Friday; testing is obviously extremely limited so it was good for him to get some experience and practice in the car. He certainly deserved his time in the cockpit but mechanical problems unfortunately meant he didn’t get as much track time car as he could have – we are running him in FP1 in Hockenheim instead of Hungary, so he’s getting another chance to show what he can do a week early and it’ll be good to see him back on track again in Germany.

“I was in the car with Tony on the way to Silverstone on Saturday when he reminded me that it was at the British Grand Prix in 2009 that he first met Mike and the Lotus Racing dream began. He was quite nostalgic and was telling me that a year ago he couldn’t drive in certain places around the track without the sticker on his car, whereas now he is a Team Principal he can go everywhere! Well, almost… He has built so much out of the dreams he has pursued, with success of course, and he believes that Lotus Racing is another opportunity that will be a success. Last weekend was a year to the day that this adventure began, and now we’re already looking five years down the road and how far we can go.”

[press release from Lotus Racing]

GGLC Autocross #4 registration is now open

Registration is open on motorsportreg.com for club members for the August 8th GGLC autocross in Marina. This will be the fourth points event of the season for club members. The event will open up to non-club members next week.

Entry Fee (includes sandwich and drink for lunch):
GGLC Members: $60
Non-Members: $70

Click here to register. This event is only one week after our July 31st event, so don’t get confused 🙂

Colm & Alex
Autocross Chairs

Lotus Racing British Grand Prix Review

Bette Hill, Nigel Mansell and Hazel Chapman
VIP guest Hazel Chapman brought a touch of the luck that had been missing in recent races back to Lotus Racing as the team recorded a double car finish at today’s British Grand Prix. Jarno Trulli made a great start and then put in a strong race to finish 16th, Heikki crossing the line just behind him in 17th. The day began with Hazel officially opening the team’s new motorhome alongside Tony Fernandes, Kamarudin Meranun, Bette Hill and former World Champion Nigel Mansell, the official FIA Steward for the British Grand Prix.

Lotus Racing
Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) 16th “I finished the Grand Prix and managed to fight with the other teams after a pretty difficult weekend, so I’m very happy. It’s just great for the whole team as they worked really hard with some difficult problems, but the work paid off. My pace felt very good, especially when you consider that I didn’t have a chance to work on any set up changes, and I had to get used to the new section of the track in qualifying and during the first part of the race, so I think we all did a pretty good job!”
Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) 17th “I think my pace was good all the way through the race, but there was constant traffic in front of me. I lost my position on the first lap, which was frustrating, as I then got held up quite a bit. I don’t mind being a lap down, but it’s just a shame I couldn’t really push. Overall I’m very pleased that we managed to finish where we did and it has been a good day for the team here at Silverstone.”

Pit Stop
Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer “Today’s been good – a strong two car finish is a great return on the all the hard work that’s been put in, so well done to the whole team for that, and once again we’re best of the news teams. Apologies to Heikki as we had a problem in his pitstop which dropped him behind the Virgin, but he drove a great race in the second half and managed to regain his place.

“Jarno had a very solid race to make sure we had a two car finish and keep ourselves best of the new teams. The only negative was the safety car which came at the wrong time for us, because we’d just pitted and it meant we dropped a lap down. But other than that it was a good strong Sunday, so well done to everyone in the team.”

Hazel Chapman and Tony Fernandes
Tony Fernandes, Team Principal “I’m absolutely delighted. This has been a great day – a two car finish is just what I’ve been wanting for the last few races, so I’m very very happy! Obviously the pitstops didn’t go to plan, but we recovered well and everything played out for us in the end. I think Heikki’s pace was very good and he raced really well, despite the unfortunate pitstop, and we got two cars home which really was the main thing. It was also a real honour for Hazel Chapman to come today and she’s brought us something very special – our motorhome is a very welcoming place for everyone in the team, and all our guests, so I’d like to thank her for coming along and instilling a bit of that old-school Team Lotus spirit in our home.”

[press release from Lotus Racing]

British Grand Prix Preview

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the next stop in the 2010 Formula One™ World Championship, will see the iconic green and yellow colours of Lotus Racing make an emotional return to the team’s second home, giving British fans their first chance to see the sport’s fastest new team in full race action at the revised Silverstone circuit. Lotus Racing are looking forward to a very busy weekend on and off the track, aiming to continue their progress towards the midfield with a host of aerodynamic and mechanical upgrades on the cars, giving their third driver Fairuz Fauzy another stint in the cockpit in the first practice session on Friday, and the official launch of their new motorhome in the paddock, with Hazel Chapman performing the opening ceremony on Sunday morning.

Heikki Kovalainen, Chassis T127-01 “The first sector of the circuit is the best sector on the whole F1™ calendar – lots of fast bits that require maximum commitment. I haven’t driven the new part yet but I’ve heard it’s going to be great and we have some more updates coming that I hope will keep moving us closer to those ahead and further away from the other new teams.

“The fans are always fantastic at Silverstone. You can see from the campsites all around the area that they are big followers of F1™ and they are always really nice and friendly. The Classic Team Lotus Festival at Snetterton really showed just how much support the British people give us so it’s going to be great to race on home soil and see a lot of Lotus Racing flags waving in the grandstands!”

Jarno Trulli, Chassis T127–04: “Silverstone will definitely be another important weekend for us, the first time a Lotus has raced in F1™ in the UK for a long time, and our second home race. I think we’ll have a lot of support there, and I hope we’ll do well – the British fans are very knowledgeable and there’s always a lot of them, so it’ll be a great show, whatever happens. There’s a new layout, and it’ll be very interesting to see how quick that’s going to be – we’ll be looking at how it affects the tyres and what strategies and setups will be best for us, so all in all I’m looking forward to getting over there.”

Fairuz Fauzy: “I know Silverstone very well, both from racing there numerous times in the past, and also because I live right next to the circuit. I’m very excited about getting out on track in front of my friends, family and fans, and it’ll be a real honour to not only be one of the first F1™ cars to try out the new layout, but also to be able to bring the Lotus marque back to its spiritual home. The new layout looks very quick, and it’ll be very interesting to see how best to attack it, so I’ll do the best job I can to help the team maximise the upgrades we’ve put on the car at one of my favourite tracks in the world.”

Mike Gascoyne: “We’re looking to take another step forward this weekend, with an update package that will give us another chance to take the fight to the teams ahead. We have a number of lightweight parts across the car that, among other benefits, will help us use the ballast more effectively, giving our drivers a better chance to optimise balance and setup. We also have the last major aero modifications of the season, including a new floor and various bodywork updates, and then the design team’s attention turns to next year’s car. It’s a very exciting time for Lotus Racing, and our second home race of the season will be a great occasion for everyone associated with our team, and a great chance for the fans to see us in competitive action for the first time in the UK.”

Tony Fernandes: “Silverstone is obviously an important race for us, and it’s going to be very busy for everyone in the team. A lot of the guys at the factory will be in the stands, alongside our growing army of fans, and it’s great that we’re giving them the chance to see our green and yellow cars taking the fight to the established midfield teams at the home of motor racing. It’s a great honour for us to welcome Hazel Chapman in on Sunday – she’s going to officially open our new motorhome, and that’ll be a great occasion for all of us – I hope we can continue to do justice to Colin’s legacy as we find more pace, lighten the car and grow as a team, and with Hazel and Clive Chapman at Silverstone with us I think we’re in very good company at our second home race.”

Team Lotus F1 Grid

On 20th June 2010 at the Classic Team Lotus Festival at Snetterton, thanks to the generous participation of owners from all over the world, one of every type of Team Lotus Formula One car was gathered together for the first time.

Classic Team Lotus Festival Grid F1 cars

They lined are up in type number order as follows:

100T
101
102
107
109
94T
95T
97T
98T
99T
87
88
91
92
93T
78
79
80
81
86
57
63
72
76
77
25
33
43
49
56
12
16
18
21
24

Between them these 35 cars represented the Lotus marque at 491 Grand Prix, from the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix to the 1994 Japan Grand Prix. They scored 79 World Championship Grand Prix victories, won by Stirling Moss (4), Innes Ireland (1), Jim Clark (25), Graham Hill (4), Jo Siffert (1), Jochen Rindt (6), Emerson Fittipaldi (9), Ronnie Peterson (9), Gunnar Nilsson (1), Mario Andretti (11), Elio De Angelis (2) and Ayrton Senna (6).

Team Lotus won the World Championship of Constructors in 1963, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973 and 1978 and the World Championship of Drivers was won six times by Team Lotus Works drivers Jim Clark (1963 & 1965), Graham Hill (1968), Jochen Rindt (1970), Emerson Fittipaldi (1972) and Mario Andretti (1978).

This special occasion was captured by daredevil photographer, William Taylor, from 34 metres up on a hydraulic platform, positioned directly above the centre of the grid. Classic Team Lotus is producing 491 numbered prints of this unique image for sale (photo print quality, image dimensions 750 x 375, print dimensions 800 x 500).

79 will be signed by Hazel Chapman and Clive Chapman, and numbered in accordance with the Grand Prix victories, and priced at £200.

412 will be signed by Clive Chapman and Chris Dinnage, the Classic Team Lotus Team Manager, and priced at £100.

Dispatch is to commence by the end of July. The prints will be unframed and despatched in a large diameter, bespoke tube.

If you would like to order one of these prints of this special moment in Team Lotus history, please email Dave Massey at dave@classicteamlotus.co.uk.

[via Classic Team Lotus]

British Racing Group and GGLC car control day at Laguna Seca

P2200711

Conducted by the Skip Barber school in Skip Barber Lotus & High Performance cars A day of hands on training behind a Skip Barber Exige with Skip Barber instructors at the world famous Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey! The day includes classroom orientation, skid pad, autocross, track skills and more. 10% discount for GGLC members.

A very special event! SPACE IS LIMITED! Visit the British Racing Group to sign up and for more details

Skip Barber Western Race Series