Lotus F1 To Use Red Bull Gears, Renault Engine

Fledgling F1 team gets serious with new running gear deal for 2011

By Riggers / Wednesday, 6 October 2010 / Loading comments

The Lotus F1 Team seems set to use Red Bull gearbox and hydraulics coupled with a rumoured switch to Renault motive power for 2011 in a subtle reworking of that old adage: if you can't beat 'em, copy 'em.

Lotus has been fairly consistently at the head of the 'newbie' teams this season, but it is still a significant chunk of time behind the F1 establishment.

But if Lotus confirms a deal to use Renault customer engines next season, it will have the same engine and gearbox package as Red Bull, a "real statement of our intention" according to team boss Tony Fernandes.

Those of a misty-eyed persuasion may mourn the passing of the combination of Lotus and Cosworth, but that deal has now been firmly terminated, and using such proven running gear as Lotus will get from Red Bull and Renault gives the team a chance to conentrate fully on chassis design and Aero.