Tuesday 9th June 2009

Team Lotus Set For F1 Return

Historic name could be back on the F1 grid in 2010

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Nostalgia alert...championship-winning Lotus 79

The historic Lotus name could return to Formula One next year if Norfolk-based Formula three team Litespeed gets the nod from the FIA to make the step up to the top flight of motor sport.

Litespeed has bought the rights to use the Lotus name, and has submitted an entry for the 2010 F1 world championship. If its submission is succesful, the new Team Lotus will use Cosworth engines and will be guided by former Toyota and Renault technical boss Mike Gascoyne.

Speaking on BBC Radio Norfolk, Gascoyne said: "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."

...and Senna's race-winning 1987 Type 99

Former Lotus F1 driver and British GP winner Johnny Herbert will also act as a driver mentor and ambassador for the team.

The Team Lotus entry will be competing for a place on the 2010 grid with Prodrive, and American outfit USF1. The FIA will announce the names of the successful applicants on 12 June.

Lotus is the fourth most successful F1 team ever, winning 79 races and seven world championships before quitting the sport at the end of 1994. The last win for a Lotus car was the 1987 US GP, with Ayrton Senna at the wheel.

[[AJ]]

Excellent, this would be great to see, along with Prodrive. The UK are at the pinnacle of F1 at the moment with Brawn and RedBull (yes I know Red Bull is Austrian, but the F1 team is British) storming ahead. It would be nice to see another British team up there next year too and who better than Aston Martin (Prodrive) or Lotus?!

[lord summerisle]

its a shame 'team lotus' has nothing to do with Lotus.

[GPT]

So this is going to be nothing to do with Lotus apart from the name and an ex-driver acting as driver mentor?

I have mixed feelings.

[zebedee]

hmmm, agree its a bit odd. Assume Lotus won't have sold name without any involvement, because if they turn out to be the Simteks of their era, it could be damaging to road car sales whereas if they are competitive, its all good, so you'd think they'd have some say in how serious the operation should be...

[Mark-C]

Is there definitely no Lotus involvement? Litespeed are about 8 miles down the A11 from Hethel ...

Edited by Mark-C on Tuesday 9th June 14:05

[tigger_]

GPT said:

So this is going to be nothing to do with Lotus apart from the name and an ex-driver acting as driver mentor?

I have mixed feelings.

Who cares? As long as they are competitive and eventually win races and championships. Then we will be talking about the revival of Lotus and forgotten that it isn't actually Lotus at all.

[B10]

John Bloor has done pretty well with Triumph motorcycles. All he bought was a name.
Lets give it encouragement. At least they are based in Norfolk and I am sure they will do the name justice.

[tigger_]

zebedee said:

if they turn out to be the Simteks of their era

Considering their budget and time in the sport, I had a lot of respect and admired Simtek and Nick Wirth enormously... that car and team had huge potential.

Unfortunate circumstances though killed more than the driver.

[Xander Pikaar]

Team Lotus has been separate from Lotus Cars in the past, even while Colin Chapman was still alive. The last years of Team Lotus they had nothing to do with Lotus Cars anymore.
Clive Chapman's Classic Team Lotus has even more relationship to Lotus Cars by the Chapman-name...

Anyway: great to have that wonderful name back. I would finally have a team to have warm feeling for, even when they are driving at the back of the field.

[Monkey boy 1]

Would be good if the livery would be black & gold.

[aarondrs]

would love to see a Black and Gold JPS Lotus on the grid though that is not going to happen with cigarette advertising banned. Maybe another black and gold brand could step in as sponsors...... Can't think of any but I'm sure someone can.

As far as Lotus and ownership goes I dont really see too much issue. I'm sure Lotus dont mind the exposure and I'm sure that the Renault factory in the UK don't see too much of Renault in France (excpet at the monthly cheque signing).

[ptopman]

aarondrs said:

would love to see a Black and Gold JPS Lotus on the grid though that is not going to happen with cigarette advertising banned. Maybe another black and gold brand could step in as sponsors...... Can't think of any but I'm sure someone can.

Lamborghini?

[dpbird90]

aarondrs said:

would love to see a Black and Gold JPS Lotus on the grid though that is not going to happen with cigarette advertising banned. Maybe another black and gold brand could step in as sponsors...... Can't think of any but I'm sure someone can.

Nescafe? Apart from the tiny detail that they are one of the ("lesser") McLaren sponsors (they don't appear on the car, used to be on the teamwear but do get their logos on the water bottles, maybe they could use their "gold blend" sub brand just for Lotus, so they can use those colours)

[rejn]

aarondrs said:

would love to see a Black and Gold JPS Lotus on the grid though that is not going to happen with cigarette advertising banned. Maybe another black and gold brand could step in as sponsors...... Can't think of any but I'm sure someone can.

Marmite?

[Vintageseekers]

[redacted]

[bigbadbikercats]

aarondrs said:

would love to see a Black and Gold JPS Lotus on the grid though that is not going to happen with cigarette advertising banned.

Call me old fashioned but I'd rather see green and yellow or the old "Players Gold Leaf" red and white with natty gold lining which I've always had a soft spot since as a very small child, long, long ago I got to sit in Jochen Rindt's Lotus 49 at a special event for the opening of a Lotus dealership :-)

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JG

[stifler]

Weren't the rights to the name "Team Lotus" sold to David Hunt? (James Hunts brother)

[Xander Pikaar]

stifler said:

Weren't the rights to the name "Team Lotus" sold to David Hunt? (James Hunts brother)

Yes!

[R-Racer]

Its good to see Lotus making some headlines again. The motor industry is in a complete mess,Lotus have brought out a new model,opened up a new outlet at Silverstone & now F1,fantastic,back them all the way.

[simonrockman]

No, green and yellow.