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Just one month after
confirmation of its entry into the 2010 FIA
Formula 1 World Championship, Lotus F1 Racing is
already heading into the windtunnel with a scale
model of its first Formula 1 car. The as yet
undesignated model is the product of the recent
collaboration between Lotus F1 Racing Chief
Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne and the team’s
technical partners, and represents an important
step in the team’s preparations for next season.
Interview with Mike Gascoyne, Lotus F1 Racing
Chief Technical Officer
How important is the completion of Lotus F1
Racing's first windtunnel model?
"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. 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."
What precisely is the involvement from Malaysia?
"Our entry has only been made possible thanks to
financing from the Malaysian private sector, so
Lotus F1 Racing will be a Malaysian team through
and through. Additionally we have valuable
support from the Malaysian government through
its 1Malaysia initiative, so we will essentially
be flying the Malaysian flag in Formula 1. I am
liaising with our Team Principal Tony Fernandes
about our plans on a daily basis and am
currently spending some time in Malaysia
interviewing potential candidates for technical
roles. The team is also in the process of
recruiting Malaysian employees for other
positions, including administration, marketing
and PR."
The above image shows Lotus
F1 Racing Chief Technical Officer Mike
Gascoyne (7th left) with Sepang
International Circuit CEO Razlan Razali (5th
left), Motorsports Association of Malaysia
(MAM) CEO Mia Sharizman Ismail (3rd left),
1Malaysia F1 Director Lee Chung Han (9th
left) and aspiring Malaysian candidates for
the 1Malaysia F1 Team at the SIC Office in
Sepang
The team is currently based in the UK, but is
there a long term plan to move to Malaysia?
"The longer term vision is to create a centre of
technical excellence at the Sepang circuit which
we have already started planning together with
Tony Fernandes and his associates. Naturally
this takes time, so we have opted initially for
a UK base at the RTN facility in Hingham from
where we will run the F1 operations while we
establish our Malaysian facilities. Ultimately,
the team will be headquartered in Malaysia, but
we will keep a small UK base which will give us
a logistical advantage when we are racing within
Europe."
What technical partnerships do you already have
in place?
"We have been working with Fondtech to develop
the aerodynamics, as well as with gearbox
specialists Xtrac. We have an engine supply deal
in place with Cosworth and we also have the
support of engineering and composites teams in
Malaysia who will play an integral role in
developing the car."
Is there really enough time to get a car and a
team up and running before the first race in
Bahrain?
"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 pre season
testing in preparation for Bahrain in mid March."
What are your expectations for the first year?
"We need to remain realistic in our aims for the
first year. 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."
How integrated will the F1 team be with other
Lotus groups?
"It is a big honour to be associated with such
an historic and prestigious Formula 1 brand as
Lotus for whom I have a lot of respect. We will
have a close relationship with other Lotus
groups and we will do all we can to ensure that
the Lotus name is treated respectfully with our
new team."
Finally, has there been any decision made on
drivers for next year?
"We have been looking closely at the driver
market to determine our best options for next
year including Malaysian drivers, but no
decisions have been made yet. We need versatile
drivers. We need reliable and technically minded
drivers who can help us develop the car during
the season, but at the same time we need drivers
who are hungry for results and who can extract
every little bit of performance from the car at
all times."
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