Lotus Racing Belgian Grand Prix

Jarno Trulli

The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa lived up to all expectations and produced an incident packed race that saw Lotus Racing again finish ahead of their nearest rivals. Heikki Kovalainen recovered from a slow start to finish 16th, and Jarno Trulli crossed the line in 19th, a spin late on dropping him back a few places after he had put in a very strong performance in the constantly changing weather conditions.

Heikki

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) 16th, fastest lap 1.55.797 – lap 23, 3 stops – laps 1, 3, 33: “I had a bit of a problem at the start when the engine bogged down, and I activated the anti-stall, but I was already being passed by the time I could get up to speed. The rain had started and unfortunately I damaged my front wing in the last turn so I had to pit. We took a gamble with the inters but the rain stopped, so I had to come back in and I lost out to the group ahead of me. After that it was a question of doing the best job I could, and keeping us in with a chance of taking advantage of the rain at the end, and as it turned out we managed to pick up a few places at the end and finish 16th.”

Jarno

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) 19th, fastest lap 1.55.103 – lap 24, 1 stop – lap 33: “It was pretty exciting out there, an eventful race where lots of things happened, but that’s normal for Spa! At the start I went wide to avoid Heikki and unfortunately was overtaken by a couple of other cars. After that I was struggling a bit in the early stages with my rear tyres overheating – fortunately they came back so I could started pushing and managed to pull away from the guys behind, so that was a good stint until the rain came. I had quite a big margin over my nearest competitor so I was looking pretty good, but then the safety car came out. At the restart I was following the other cars but obviously the visibility was very poor and I made a bit of an error on a high speed corner, touched the white line with the rear end of the car and it just slipped away from me, which meant I lost places. I continued, but then the race was over from there. I’m glad we got both cars home, and it’s good to see we’ve still got an advantage over our nearest rivals, so bring on Monza!”

Pit Stop

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: “An exciting race and a typically eventful one here in Spa. Neither driver had a great start which meant we lost a few places, and Heikki had a problem when the rain started. We changed him onto intermediates, but were then a little slow in changing him back, but he drove a great race, and was quick at the end in the wet conditions, and he again brought us home best of the new teams. Jarno drove a strong race. He struggled initially with the tyres, but in the middle part of the race his pace was very strong, and it’s just a shame that he had a spin in the difficult wet conditions as it would have been nice to have had both cars finish ahead of the other new guys. But despite that, both cars finished and overall this has been a good weekend for the whole team.”

Riad and Mia

Riad Asmat, Chief Executive Officer: “I feel great. I think we achieved what we wanted to do – we got both cars home and we’re still ahead of the other new teams. It’s a bit unfortunate that Jarno spun out, but it’s all part of racing. He recovered well and I think we’ll all move on from this point and feel confident we can put in a good performance in Monza, and the remaining races. I think the team did great today and there was maximum effort involved, so well done to everyone. The rain of course threw everything out of sync, but we survived it today and we’re really happy.”

Jarno Trulli

[press release from Lotus Racing]

A Day in the Hungarian Sunshine

Jarno in Hungarian race action

Lotus Racing enjoyed an excellent day in the heat of the Hungarian Grand Prix with Heikki Kovalainen finishing 14th and Jarno Trulli just behind in 15th. A very exciting race, full of incidents throughout the grid, saw the Anglo / Malaysian squad firmly consolidate their position at the top of the new team chart, sending the team into the summer break full of confidence for the challenges that lay ahead when the Championship reconvenes in late August.

Heikki steps into his office

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) 14th, fastest lap 1.27.457 – lap 64, 1 stop – lap 15: “A great day for the team, and a great job from everyone to get us home in 14th and 15th. I think that was the maximum we could have hoped for, so we’re all really pleased. Despite starting behind Timo we were confident we could overtake him, and that’s how it panned out. My own race was fairly straightforward. I dropped a few places at the start but when the safety car came in I was brought straight in to pit and it worked out well as I jumped a couple of guys ahead. From then I was controlling my pace to the end, and making sure I didn’t make any mistakes. We head into the break very satisfied with how we performed today, and that’s great for the whole team.”

Jarno ready for action

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) 15th, fastest lap 1.27.429 – lap 58, 1 stop – lap 20: “It’s a great day for the team. All weekend I’ve been strong, and today’s two car finish shows how hard the team’s been working. I made a very good start and managed to gain three places, and once I got ahead of Timo it was pretty comfortable staying in front. I lost out to Heikki in the strategy call during the safety car period, but that was in the best interests of the team, and as we are again ahead of our nearest rivals, we’ve achieved what we set out to today.”

Heikki in race action in Hungary

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: “An excellent two car finish and once again we’re the best of the new teams. Both drivers drove strong races and Jarno had a particularly good start. Once the safety car came out we made a strategy call to keep Jarno out as we knew it would be a short period behind the safety car and this was the right strategy for the team. Unfortunately this meant Jarno lost a place to his teammate, so apologies to him, but we got the call right for the team. Heikki drove a good strong race to the end. He was bottled up behind Di Grassi at the start, but once he’d got past he was very comfortable running to the flag. All in all a really good result, and a very good day for the team.”

Kamarudin Meranun, Deputy Team Principal: “It was a very exciting race and moments like this are the ones you want to cherish. We made a very good decision with Heikki when the safety car came out, and both he and Jarno drove really well to keep their positions to the end. It’s a great day for the team, and I’ve just given Tony a challenge – let’s see you beat that next time you’re on the pitwall!”

[press release from Lotus Racing]

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]

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.”

Lotus Racing European Grand Prix Report

Mark Webber Heikki Kovalainen Valencia European Grand Prix 2010 accident

After a very promising build up to the European Grand Prix, Lotus Racing leave Valencia relieved that Heikki Kovalainen and Red Bull’s Mark Webber both came out of a potentially very dangerous crash on lap 10 unscathed, and encouraged by Jarno Trulli’s race pace after a very unfortunate start to his afternoon’s work saw him make an early stop for a new front wing, before going on to finish 21st.

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) Qualified 19th, finished 21st “I don’t know exactly what happened at the beginning as I managed to get away from the mess at the front but I was hit from the back and at the same time lost my front wing. It all happened during the first lap, so I thought it was the end of the race for me, but I managed to get back to the pits, and the mechanics did a great job to fix the car. I went out but had a gearbox problem, so more good work from the boys got me back out and I was then able to run to the end. I did the whole race with one set of tyres, and I felt that the pace throughout was very good. The handling was great, so I’m happy about the performance and when I pushed I was able to put in some really good lap times.”

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) Qualified 20th, DNF “First of all it’s good news that both of us are ok. Mark had a hardcore flight, and it could have ended up much worse, so it’s good we’re both fine. It’s such a shame the race ended that early – I was going really well, pulling away from the guys behind by about half a second a lap, and with Mark we were racing for position so I was always going to defend. I didn’t do anything wrong and he just ran into me. I think he missed his braking point and he ran into me at a very bad angle – his front tyre hit my right rear and he took off. I had to make a mandatory visit to the medical centre, and shook hands with Mark there, but I’m absolutely fine, and glad Mark is too.”

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: “Obviously it was a very disappointing end to our 500th race. Jarno got hit at the start, and we had to change the nose. He also took a hit at the back, and that caused a gearbox problem. We were able to fix that and send him out again, although he was three laps down. He was held up by some of the other slower cars, but at the end of the race he was able to push and really show the car’s pace.

“Heikki had an accident with Webber – he was defending his line and racing for position, and that’s what we will always do in that situation. It’s just a great shame, and we’re very glad that neither driver was hurt.”

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: “Heikki’s accident is part of racing. It’s a shame as both cars are coming on really well, but there is some good to take out of this. Despite being hit, Jarno managed to finish the race, and at the end it was great to hear him say ‘the car is bloody good!’

“Overall it’s been a very positive weekend, with a good Qualifying session and lots of very positive meetings and good decisions made for next year. It’s also been a pleasure having the Chapman family here, and now we’re all looking forward to bringing Lotus Racing back to the UK and racing in front of the British fans.”

[press release from Lotus Racing]

Lotus Racing looks back at the Classic Team Lotus Festival

A look back at Sunday June 20th’s Classic Team Lotus Festival at Snetterton where we joined Clive Chapman and an example of every Lotus F1 car that raced between 1958 and 1994. Our third driver, Fairuz Fauzy, used the event to shake down chassis T127-04, giving Lotus Racing fans an exclusive first public look at our 2010 challenger on UK soil, and Jarno, Heikki, Fairuz and Mike Gaascoyne all drove classic Lotus F1 cars – an amazing day out for everyone!

Lotus celebrates its 500th Grand Prix

Team photo with the T127 and Lotus Type 12

The European Grand Prix in Valencia, the ninth race of the 2010 FIA Formula One™ World Championship, is the 500th Grand Prix Lotus has competed in, an historic landmark in the Lotus legend. Lotus Racing will be celebrating this incredible milestone with Colin Chapman’s son Clive, who, with his family, will be representing one of the greatest names in Formula One™ history. He and the Lotus Racing team will be paying tribute to the legacy his father Colin created in single-seat racing in 1956 when he launched the Type 12, the car that will appear alongside the 2010 challenger, the T127, in the Valencia pitlane on Thursday evening.

500 and racing...

Lotus Racing will be celebrating the 500th race across the whole race weekend. The T127’s of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen will both be carrying a specially created “500” logo on their engine covers, and the team’s garages will also show off the logo that celebrates their heritage. An extended edition of Lotus Racing Notes, the team’s race-by-race newsletter, will be available online and in very-limited-edition hard copy from Thursday, as is a new podcast, and in the merchandise stands and online, “500” Lotus Racing team shirts and other memorabilia will be on sale. In the motorhome, the Lotus Racing catering team have been putting together a menu that each day features one of the favourite dishes of Lotus legends, including Sir Stirling Moss and Colin Chapman – more details will be announced each day…..

Jarno Trulli

Jarno Trulli: “I’m really looking forward to Valencia. It’s a circuit I like, and I enjoy the race there – It’s always warm, and it’s a beautiful city. I’m in the new chassis (T127-04) from this race, and hopefully that will bring me some better luck over the race weekend – in Canada I was really flying until the retirement, so I hope I can carry that through to this weekend and see the chequered flag. That’s obviously important, but this weekend is also all about the 500th race for Lotus. It’ll be very special to help take that famous name to such a milestone, and I’m very honoured to be part of it. I met Hazel Chapman on Sunday at the Classic Team Lotus Festival, and that was very special for me, particularly as I had the chance to drive Elio De Angelis’ T91 in front of the crowds, and that felt great.”

Heikki Kovalainen

Heikki Kovalainen: “The last few races have been very positive for our team, we’ve been making progress every weekend and the plan is to carry on pushing. For Valencia, and for the rest of the season, we’re not looking back at the other new teams – we lapped them in Canada so we’re looking to keep taking the fight to the guys ahead, and I think we can do that. This is obviously an historic weekend for Lotus, and for Lotus Racing, and I think we’re starting to do justice to what’s gone before us – it’s fantastic that we can celebrate such a great milestone in Valencia, and it’ll be an honour to be part of that.

“On the race itself – the track is a street circuit, but there is quite a lot more room on track than in Monaco or Singapore, so it’s more of a semi-street circuit. You can hit the kerbs harder, and find a better balance between the straight-line speed and the grip in the corners, but this makes finding the right downforce level crucial. It’s always hot there, and getting the best out of the tyres will be important – we have the super-soft tyres there so we’ll work on getting the best out of them on Friday and Saturday. I think we’ll put on a good show, and give Clive Chapman and his family, and all the Lotus fans something to cheer for!”

Mike and the team

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: “I’m really looking forward to this weekend, and am excited about both celebrating the 500th race Lotus has competed in, and helping add another chapter to one of motorsport’s greatest stories. We’ve already come a long way this season, and have much further to go until we can add more glory to the Lotus legend, but I and the whole team are very proud to be in a position to help the Lotus name reach this landmark moment, and it’ll be great to celebrate that with Clive, Tony and the whole team.

“For the race, we have a few more updates to the car to help us keep pushing forward, so we’re not letting up on the challenge to take the race to the cars in front. I’m confident we’ll put on a good performance in Valencia – we’ve got the right drivers to cope with the demands of the circuit itself, and the car keeps improving with every new step we take, so I think this will be another chance to pressure the midfield, and make good on the promise we showed in Canada.”

Tony Fernandes: “Celebrating the 500th race will be an absolute honour, and will obviously be very special, but we’re only nine races of the whole Lotus story. Really, this weekend is all about celebrating Colin Chapman’s history, and thanking Clive, his Mother Hazel, and all the people that have helped shape the Lotus legend. I’m thrilled that some of the people that were part of the original story are with us today, and I’m proud we’ve been able to take the total number of races Lotus has taken part in to 500 and beyond – hopefully we’ll be celebrating 1,000 races one day, and can look back on a legacy that pays true homage to that we’re celebrating this weekend – the legacy of Colin Chapman, his family, his cars and his team.”

Clive Chapman: “Of course the 500th Grand Prix for the Lotus marque is a significant landmark, and it was nice that Lotus Racing thought to invite my mother to attend – after all, Hazel Chapman is the person with the closest association to the Team Lotus history. Much as she wanted to accept, regretfully she decided against it, so I’ll be there with my family representing Classic Team Lotus and my father’s legacy.

Check out this pic with Hazel and Clive Chapman in front of Lotus Classic F1 Cars! #fb

“The fact my mother won’t be in Valencia this weekend made it all the more special that she was with all the Team Lotus F1™ cars and the Lotus Racing T127 at the Classic Team Lotus Festival last weekend at Snetterton. It was a great moment for my family and me to see my mum and their grandma standing at the front of the 35 Lotus F1™ cars, and then to be joined by the Lotus Racing drivers. The ‘Valencia installation lap’ conducted at Snetterton by the T127 was another highlight of the day for everyone there.

“Much as it is nice that Lotus Racing is celebrating 500th Grand Prix, I am sure the most important thing about the weekend for the team is that it is another race and the next opportunity to continue to make progress towards the established teams. It was exciting to watch Montreal qualifying, when Heikki almost pipped the Sauber, and I for one would swap the 500th landmark for the landmark of outqualifying an established team in normal circumstances. Fingers crossed!”