Nigel Mansell officially opened Group Lotus’s
revised and restored Hethel test track with a
roar from the 1981 Essex-Lotus 81B in which he
started his glorious Formula One career more
than 30-years-ago.
Mansell led a convoy of seven stunning racing
cars from the Lotus stable, including the
innovative 1980 Type 88 twin-chassis car – which
the rule makers never allowed to race; the Lotus
Type 125 Exos Experience car driven by fellow F1
legend Jean Alesi; and a brace of Lotus Renault
GP cars piloted by current F1 stars Vitaly
Petrov and Bruno Senna.
This was the first time that modern-era F1 cars
had blasted around the historic Hethel tarmac
since the early 1990s. The layout of the 2.2
mile circuit had changed very little, with one
extra corner added, but the new asphalt and
larger run off areas are better suited to modern
racing and performance car testing. Its mixture
of corners, straight and braking zones makes it
ideal for testing and optimizing every
performance aspect of the new era of Lotus
products, and evaluating car control at the
Lotus Driving Academy. In addition to a spacious
new workshop, the test track will soon be
accompanied by a new pit building and
hospitality suite.
Dany Bahar, Group Lotus CEO said: “A year
ago we set out our plans to introduce a new
model line up, ambitious motorsport plans and a
revitalization of the iconic Lotus brand. A year
in, we are meeting all the targets and
milestones we set ourselves. One of the
milestones was the opening of our test track.
You might say this is just a refurbishment of a
track and not a major achievement in itself, and
I agree. However, mentally and psychologically
seeing this project accomplished demonstrates
that step-by-step our vision is becoming a
reality. It shows our entire workforce and our
partners that we are delivering on our promises.”
Nigel Mansell, Group Lotus ambassador and
1992 Formula One World Champion said: “What a
joy it was to be reunited with my old 81B after
30 years. This is a very special place, Hethel,
and it was wonderful to open the circuit today
by driving alongside my sons Leo and Greg.”
Clive Chapman, Managing Director of
Classic Team Lotus said: “I remember my father
testing the Lotus 49 on this circuit. He didn’t
wear a helmet and you could see him grinning
from ear to ear because he knew he had another
winner. The circuit’s longest straight doubled
as a runway, and we would land here in my
father’s plane after adventurous and race tracks
around the world. The revised circuit has
managed to keep a lot of the character of the
original, and seeing those seven cars lapping
today is something I shall never forget. Lotus
is enjoying exciting times once again, and it
fills me with pride when I see brand new Lotus’s
around the world still bearing my father’s
initials.”
Jean Alesi, Group Lotus ambassador and F1
legend said: “It’s extremely fast. The first
time I went out I was surprised about the length
of the straights, but then of course it’s not
only for motor sport but for testing road cars.
The layout is perfect for that. It’s a proper
test track. Today I drove Lotus’ customer
F1-experience car, the T125. The development of
this car is ongoing, and very very promising.
James Rossiter is doing a great job helping to
develop the car, and will make this new track
his home. I shall be validating these tests.”
Bruno Senna, Lotus Renault GP third
driver said: “Vitaly [Petrov] and I got to chase
each other around in our F1 cars today, which
was awesome. It’s a really fun, technical track
designed to test the car’s handling and braking.
I guess this is the first time in many years
that a contemporary F1 car has been driven
around here. The relationship I have with Group
Lotus is very special, to be given the
opportunity by these guys who trust my abilities
and what I can bring to the team. And we have
family history, of course. Ayrton [Senna] made
his name with Colin Chapman, and so there is a
lot to be grateful to Lotus for. For me, to
drive this circuit where my uncle used to test
his cars, is a special feeling.”
James Rossiter, Lotus Motorsport factory
driver said: “The circuit has been completely
resurfaced and extended. Now there’s a lot more
track and you can push harder thanks to that.
The thing that makes it so perfect for Lotus is
that it has every aspect of corner you can
imagine; high speed, medium speed; slow speed;
changes of direction at a steady-state,
decelerating, and accelerating; you’ve got a
massive braking area at the end of a long
straight, with a tight chicane; there are two
190 degree corners, which are long, open and
steady-state. So it has a little bit of
everything, which is ideal for developing every
aspect of a performance car.”
Karl Heinz Kalbfell, Group Lotus
Operations spokesperson and former CEO of Rolls
Royce Motor Cars and Maserati said: “Every time
I come back here to see the changes, both in
infrastructure and the product, and to see
people here driven by Lotus’s inspirational
goals, it gives me a lot of confidence that we
are all on the right track. This is exactly what
Colin Chapman would have wanted. He was a man
always looking forward, not backwards.”
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