Lotus | Lotus Racing | Info and Stats

Team Lotus F1 Facts

Team: Lotus Racing
Drivers: Jarno Trulli - Heikki Kovalainen
Engine: Cosworth CA2010
F1 Debut: 2010 - Bahrain Grand Prix

• Lotus first entered Formula One in 1958. The racing team was founded by Colin Chapman, who originally started Lotus as an automotive engineering company.
• Colin Chapman is regarded as one of the greatest designers in F1 history. He pioneered the monocoque chassis, front wings, rear wings, ground effect aerodynamics, side mounted radiators, active suspension, gas turbines, four wheel drive, and carbon fibre bodywork.
• Lotus was also the first team to introduce sponsorship into Formula One. Until Lotus painted their cars in Gold Leaf Tobacco livery in 1968, all teams raced in their national colours.
• Lotus won its first Grand Prix with Innes Ireland in 1961, and its first World Championship with Jim Clark in 1963.
• In 1965, Jim Clark won 6 of the 10 Grands Prix for Lotus. He missed the Monaco Grand Prix because he was racing in the Indianapolis 500, a race that he also won for Lotus.
• Lotus is the fourth most successful Formula One team of all time having taken 13 World Championships and 73 Grand Prix victories.
• The team's last World Championship was in 1978 with Mario Andretti. The team's last victory was in 1987 with Ayrton Senna.
• Jim Clark is the most successful Lotus driver having taken 25 race wins and two World Championships for the team. Many regard Clark as one of the greatest drivers of all time.
• Colin Chapman died of a heart attack in 1982. His deputy, Peter Warr, took control of the team.
• In 1994 the Lotus team closed down due to lack of sufficient funding. The Lotus Car Company was later sold to Proton who have revived the Formula One team for 2010.
• The modern Lotus F1 team is run by Tony Fernandes, who also runs Air Asia. The Technical Director is Mike Gascoyne who previously worked for Jordan, Renault, Toyota, and Force India.
• Many of the technical staff that joined Lotus in 2010 came from Toyota who exited the sport at the end of 2009.
• Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen will race for Lotus in 2010. Trulli has been in Formula One since 1997, and Kovalainen since 2007.
• The Lotus Car Company (Proton) is sponsoring a team in the Indycar Series in 2010 although this will have no link to the Formula One team.