lotus f1 2010 painted images for Lotus Formula 1 2010

Barely a month after the announcement that it had secured an entry for the 2010 F1 season, the new Lotus F1 team has released imagery of what its new machine will look like.

The team has completed work on a scale model of its first F1 car, which will now head into the windtunnel as the team begins to prepare for its entry into the sport.

The model, which has yet to be named, will be the first step on the road to the 2010 season opener in Bahrain, although chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne admitted there was still plenty to do before the car is in a position to hit the track.

"The start of any windtunnel testing is an important step in the development of a new Formula 1 car, but it is particularly exciting for us as we continue preparations for our first season," he said. "It has been a very busy time since our entry was confirmed by the FIA. We had been working on the entry for several months so we already had aspects of the team infrastructure in place; the finances, the factory and the top management.

"Once our entry was confirmed in mid-September, we were able to accelerate our recruitment and car development process and this is really where we are at now. There is no escaping the challenges that we face simply to get the car ready for the first race of next season, but I am confident that we are up to the task in hand.

"Our target is to get the car ready for a roll out by the middle of February so that we can carry out preseason testing in preparation for Bahrain in mid-March."

Gascoyne added that the team needs to remain realistic about its chances for 2010, with the focus being to get ahead of the other newcomers and then progress as the year goes on.

"We need to remain realistic in our aims for the first year," he said. "We are a new team and we are starting our development late, so it will be an achievement just to get two cars on the Bahrain grid. I hope by the middle of the season we will have established ourselves as the best of the rookie teams and then continue to make forward progress for the rest of the year."

Lotus F1 have confirmed Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen
as their drivers for the 2010 Formula 1 season.

Trulli joins the new Malaysian-backed team from Toyota, while Kovalainen moves after he was left without a seat due to Jenson Button's move to McLaren.

The pair have signed three-year deals, with Malaysian Fairuz Fauzy named as the third driver.

"[The team] shows our seriousness to be a world championship contender," said Lotus team principal Tony Fernandes.

"Trulli will bring us a lot of experience to develop the team, and Heikki is a young driver but has phenomenal experience so I think we have two fantastic drivers with Fairuz as well."

Trulli was without a team after Toyota announced they were pulling out of the sport in November.

But the 35-year-old Italian - who won one grand prix for Renault in 2004 - has worked with Lotus's technical director Mike Gascoyne before, most recently when they were both at Toyota.

We are not setting any big targets, we want to at least be the best of the new teams

Lotus F1 principal Tony Fernandes

But despite his excitement about joining one of the most famous names in Formula 1, Trulli was cautious about overestimating expectations for the forthcoming season.

"We are one of the new teams, so we have to prove ourselves and to gain respect in the paddock," he told the team's official website.

"We have to establish ourselves as the best of the new teams and see what gap we have between us and the rest.

Source BBC

Personal Opinion... by yours Truly on our
NEW Lotus F1 drivers.

I have to say well done Lotus for your choice of drivers, even though it probably should have been Michael Schumacher, (the ultimate duo return Lotus & the Stig) both Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen are race bred potential winners. Ive been watching both of these fellas closely last season.

Trulli has the ability to bring out perfect driving lines, hes proven this time & time again, he just however needs to remain consistent... Kovalainen is much the same, he can really push envelopes in his trials but needs to maintain a more relaxed, less on the edge approach, (maybe for more insight take look at what Hamilton is doing? I think Hamilton is the most relaxed driver around, he has that Pete Sampras cat like pounce that catches others out when they least expect it)... both Trulli & Heikki have had "freakish" lap times & wins... im sure they will have even more of the same in the Lotus, lets hope the Cosworth engine does it a little bit better than the Toyota engine, I wont hold my breath but miracles do happen.. Lotus engineers its up to you to prove me wrong ! (& until that time ill stick with my Mercedes concept)

win or lose, these new drivers will go down in history as the men that brought back the Lotus heritage to its fans, this in itself is a wonderful opportunity & honour, im sure they will do us proud as loyal lotus fans.

Notes & personal opinion by Pete Pigott on the new Lotus paint design ...
This lotus f1 for 2010 or 11 was inspired from many things
& ill number them...

1) "elaine" is my Grand Mothers Name
2) Im a member of the lotus club in Sydney (obvious motivation)
3) Lotus colour scheme of the 1970s, JPS influence
4) typical lotus racing yellow at the front sides & rear which made the elise & exige famous. Idea was to blend these recognisable features with the old F1 theme.
5) a Mercedes steering wheel, if Cosworth fails in 2010 lets try Mercedes in 2011!
6) the number 4 is for Australias Mark Webber, (our Oz F1 legend!) as I have his number 14 hat I bought in Hungary, I was heavily influenced by his win in Germany while I was in europe & so I threw in his number four on this car as a bonus measure for good luck based on numerology.
7) I have blessed "elaine F1" with AC/DC music so she has passion through her veins & will now win races...
8) I designed the car mostly between 10 & 11 AM on different days so to provide more positive energy & luck based on my research into numerology.
9) this design is also dedicated to my very close friend from school of 25 years Matthew W who died 3 years ago, he loved all lotus cars to the death as much as I do. This ones for Matty, hope things are ok up there at the pearly gates matey, cause that's where you are im sure.

let us know what you think, even if you hate it, I wont be offended, my grandmother died years ago & im sure she would love appreciate some constructive energy into this.

Chassis construction continues as the 'UK Lamborghini' comes alive Norfolk!

The new for 2010 Lotus F1 Racing car is progressing in both Germany and at the official team HQ in Hingham, England. Construction of chassis is well underway and the first batch of crash tests have been passed. Meanwhile the factory is gearing up to start car construction.
"Parts have already arrived in Hingham" explains Keith Saunt. "Over the next two months tens of thousands of individual parts will be bought or made, inspected, engraved, placed in to stock and used as the first of the cars gets built. The very first two car parts received into our system here in Hingham were a nose catch and nose pin - there will be many more."
There has been no further word on the design dispute with Force India so all seems to be well in that arena, after all most designs in the 2010 are fairly similar in any case.

THE REAL LOTUS PROTON F1...

In the beginning below was the real lotus F1 2010...
testing at silverstone...
& it was fantastic to see them finally hit the track..
Many people thought the new livery was the Australian
Green & Gold Olympic colours ... until later (right) they
showed us otherwise removing even the Lotus name.

& speaking of this...
what do you think of the new look?
What would have been a better Livery .. Black or Green ?
a poll below please let us know !