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Lotus F1 Racing has today confirmed that Italy's
Jarno Trulli, Finland's Heikki Kovalainen and
Malaysia's Fairuz Fauzy have joined the team to
spearhead driving duties for its debut Formula 1
season in 2010.
There has been much speculation surrounding the
identity of Lotus F1 Racing's driver signings in
recent weeks, but the appointment of Jarno,
Heikki and Fairuz was made formal in an official
announcement by Malaysian Prime Minister Dato'
Sri Najib Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur this
afternoon, at which Jarno, Heikki and Fairuz
were also present.
35-year-old Trulli is one of the most
experienced, consistent racers in Formula 1 and
unquestionably still one of the fastest men over
a single lap. He is one of just a select few
drivers to have tasted victory in Formula 1, and
that at the jewel in the crown of Formula 1
racing, the Monaco Grand Prix. He has also
finished in the top ten of the drivers'
Championship table on seven occasions.
Heikki's F1 career began in 2006 when he made
his debut as a test driver. His appointment to
the Lotus F1 Racing team will see the 28 year
old Finn starting his fourth season in the
Formula 1 World Championship and he brings with
him a race winning reputation, confirmed by his
first victory in Hungary in 2008, and a wealth
of experience that will make a potent
combination with fellow race driver Jarno Trulli
and Fairuz Fauzy.
27-year-old Fauzy joins the team having
previously held a Formula 1 testing role for the
Spyker squad back in 2007. Since then he has
driven in the F1 feeder series GP2, the World
Series by Renault, as well as being named as
lead driver for Malaysia's involvement in the
A1GP Championship.
It is a reflection of the determination and
status of Lotus F1 Racing to return to Formula 1
that they have hired two race winning drivers
for the debut season.
TONY FERNANDES - TEAM PRINCIPAL
"I am thrilled that we have been able to sign
Jarno, Heikki and Fairuz to drive for Lotus F1
Racing in our debut season. The appointment of
Jarno, Heikki and Fairuz as our race drivers is
a testament to the quality of our team, to our
ambition and drive, and above all to our
long-term vision of success in Formula 1. Jarno
and Heiki are winners and have proven track
records in Formula 1, and will be a big asset to
us as we look to develop the team and the car
throughout 2010. Jarno and Heikki are two
extremely versatile drivers who have proven
themselves more than capable of achieving solid
results no matter how tough the conditions.
Having Fairuz on board is also great news. He is
undoubtedly the best Malaysian senior driver at
the moment and it is a pleasure to welcome him
into Malaysia's Formula 1 team. We only secured
our 2010 entry from the FIA in September and
already we have our first car in production and
have signed two Formula 1 race winners to drive
for us, as well as a home-grown Malaysian
driver. Not bad for three months' hard work!
There is more to come from us and we head into
the holiday period buoyed by what we have
accomplished already but inspired to push the
boundaries yet further."
JARNO TRULLI - LOTUS F1 RACING DRIVER
"It is a privilege for me to sign for the new
Lotus F1 Racing team. I have been impressed by
the long-term vision of the team management and
technical staff. Tony has set out very ambitious
plans and I am ready to help the team achieve
these high targets. I am also pleased to be back
working alongside Mike Gascoyne, someone with
whom I have enjoyed previous success at other
teams. I get on very well with him and I respect
his working style. Lotus is a truly iconic and
inspirational brand and it is great that the
name is back in Formula 1. We will be hoping to
draw inspiration from the heritage of Lotus for
our team."
"I am also delighted to be racing alongside
Heikki, someone who I have enjoyed racing
against since 2007, and someone else, like me,
who brings valuable experience from his time
with two of Formula 1's most established teams.
I believe that together, we are among the most
competitive pairings on the grid, and we will be
determined to bring success to Lotus F1 Racing
to repay the faith that Tony and the team have
shown in us."
"The fact that the team is Malaysian gives us
all an extra responsibility because we will be
carrying the hopes of a nation on our shoulders,
but we will give the absolute maximum to reward
their loyalty and trust. I am here to win; I
will fight for the team and for Malaysia. Every
proud Malaysian should be behind the team."
HEIKKI KOVALAINEN - LOTUS F1 RACING DRIVER
"It's fantastic to be joining Lotus F1 Racing
and I am excited about the challenges that lie
ahead. I recently visited our factory in
Norfolk, UK, and was so impressed by seeing how
far the team has come in such a short time since
it was launched in September, and by how
determined everyone is to meet Tony's ambitious
targets. I knew immediately it would be a
fantastic opportunity to help them achieve their
goals."
"I believe that appointing two drivers with the
experience Jarno and I have shows how determined
the team is to go racing in a truly competitive
way, and our pairing sends out a very strong
message to our competitors."
"I'm also excited to be part of a team that is
not only bringing back the Lotus name, one of
the most iconic teams in any form of global
motorsport, but also doing so with the support
and backing of Malaysia, a country I fell in
love with when I first raced there in 2007. I
can't wait to begin working with Tony, Mike and
the team they are putting together, and I'm
really looking forward to seeing the welcome we
will be given by Formula 1 fans around the world
as we bring Lotus F1 Racing to the grid."
FAIRUZ FAUZY - LOTUS F1 RACING DRIVER
"There is no greater honour than having the
chance to drive for your country. I was given
the opportunity to do that for A1 Team Malaysia
in A1GP for a couple of years, but to have the
chance to join Malaysia's first fully fledged
Formula 1 team is very special for me and the
highlight of my career so far. I look forward to
working closely with Jarno and Heikki on
developing the car and the team in our first
season together in Formula 1. I am sure we can
do Malaysia as a nation proud, as well as
upholding the tradition of such a legendary F1
name such as Lotus. Furthermore I look forward
to developing as a driver in Formula 1 with the
team in the future."
DRIVER PROFILES
JARNO TRULLI PROFILE
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Jarno made a fighting start to his Formula 1
career when he joined the Minardi team in 1997,
but after just seven races he was asked to
replace the injured Olivier Panis at Prost where
he made an immediate impact. He finished fourth
in the German GP and led the Austrian GP until
he was cruelly denied a sensational podium
finish with an engine failure. Nonetheless,
Jarno had made his mark and stayed at the Prost
team for a further two seasons. Results were not
forthcoming but he claimed his first career
podium with a fine drive to second place in the
wet European GP in 1999. The result was
something of a fitting farewell to his time at
Prost as Jarno joined the Jordan Grand Prix
squad for the new Millennium.
It was another barren period for Jarno in terms
of podium results but a handful of fourth places
and some sublime qualifying performances
attracted the attentions of the Renault team for
2002. His first year at the French manufacturer
alongside Jenson Button did little to improve
upon his previous results but in 2003, with the
team's technical department led by Mike Gascoyne,
he was given a more competitive car with which
to show his full potential. Racing alongside
Fernando Alonso, Jarno returned to the podium
for the first time since his Prost days with
third place in the German GP at Hockenheim. The
result gave Jarno renewed confidence and paved
the way for Jarno's breakthrough season in 2004.Once again partnering Alonso, Jarno attained
regular points and podium challenges before
taking a breathtaking victory around the streets
of Monte Carlo. Jarno had established himself as
one of the men to beat but midway
through the year relations with his team had started to
deteriorate and towards the end of the year he
opted for a surprise switch to Toyota with whom
he would stay until 2009. |
In his five-and-a-bit seasons with Toyota Jarno
put in some incredible performances both in
qualifying and in races. In his first full
season with the team in 2005, with Mike Gascoyne
at the technical helm, he was one of the
Championship leaders in the early races taking
Toyota's first ever podium results in Malaysia
and Bahrain. Toyota's competitiveness dropped
off after Gascoyne's departure from the team in
2006 and Jarno was only able to fight for
occasional points finishes until a reversal of
fortunes in 2008. His scored his first podium in
three years at the French Grand Prix and Toyota
were one of the teams to beat in the first races
of 2009. Jarno took an incredible pole position
in Bahrain but a miscalculated race strategy
prevented him from converting it into the team's
maiden victory. Nevertheless, with two podiums
from the first four races and a highly
competitive second place in the team's home race
in Japan, Jarno ended the season - what would be
Toyota's final in Formula 1 - with some
career-high performances.
Incredibly, the 2010 season will mark Jarno's
14th season in Formula 1 but he shows no signs
of slowing down. By joining Lotus F1 Racing,
Jarno has the chance to rejoin Mike Gascoyne and
to spearhead a brand new team into Formula 1.
His vast experience racing at the pinnacle of
motorsport and his respected reputation as a
team-player will be vital characteristics to the
new Lotus F1 Racing team as they fight their way
up the grid during 2010.
HEIKKI KOVALAINEN PROFILE
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Heikki started his motor racing career karting
in the early 1990's. His first recognition came
with second place in the Finnish Formula A
Championship in 1999 and 2000. That year also
saw Heikki add the Scandinavian Championship and
the Elf Masters, held at Paris Bercy, to his
achievements, earning him title of Karting
Driver of the Year in his native Finland.
Heikki's success saw him move up to the British
Formula Renault Championship in 2001, bringing
two wins, two poles and three fastest laps,
enough to give him fourth place in the
Championship, plus the 2001 Finnish Automobile
Sports Federation "Rookie of the Year" award.
That same year, Heikki made his F3 debut at the
world renowned Macau Grand Prix, finishing 8th.
In 2002 Heikki moved on to compete in the
British F3 Championship, scoring an impressive
five wins, three poles and three fastest laps,
securing his third position in drivers'
standings. He was once again given the "Rookie
of the Year" award, and won the prestigious F3
support race at the British Grand Prix. He
capped an impressive year by finishing second in
Macau and fourth at the Marlboro Masters at
Zandvoort.In 2003 Heikki competed in the World Series by
Nissan: a win and two poles were enough to get
second place in the Championship. That same year
he also made his F1 test debut, driving the
Renault R23 at Barcelona and the Minardi
Cosworth at Vallelunga two weeks later. |
2004 brought more success for Heikki, securing
the World Series by Nissan Championship. Driving
for the Pons Team he crushed the opposition,
with six wins, nine poles and ten fastest laps
to his name, competing alongside Tiago Monteiro,
Enrique Bernoldi and Narain Karthikeyan. As a
member of the Renault Driver Development Program
Heikki assisted with the development of
Renault's Championship winning R24, adding to
his growing F1 experience.
Stade de France, Paris, was the venue for the
season ending Race of Champions in 2004.
Alongside Marcus Gronholm, Heikki represented
Finland in the Cup of Nations, where he and his
team mate took the runner-up spot. However, the
top step of the podium did not elude him long,
with Heikki winning the coveted Champion of
Champions title by beating 2004 World Rally
Champion Sebastian Loeb and seven times Formula
1 World Champion Michael Schumacher in front of
a packed stadium.
In 2005 Heikki moved up to GP2, taking part in
the inaugural series with Arden Motorsport. His
impressive development continued, finishing
second overall in the series, securing five wins
and two poles along the way.
2006 saw Heikki make the step up to the very
pinnacle of world motorsport, replacing Frank
Montagny as the Renault F1 Team's third driver.
A series of impressive displays in testing saw
him achieve his primary Formula 1 goal, with the
announcement he had been promoted by the Renault
F1 Team to a full-time race seat for the 2007
season.
Pitted against the vastly experienced Giancarlo
Fisichella, Heikki enjoyed an excellent debut
season in 2007, out-performing and out-scoring
his team-mate, becoming second best rookie of
the season after Lewis Hamilton and taking a
very credible seventh place in the final
Championship standings.
These achievements did not go unnoticed, and in
December 2007 Team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
announced Heikki as team-mate to Lewis Hamilton,
a position he held for the 2008 and 2009
seasons, until today's announcement of his
appointment to Lotus F1 Racing. 2008 saw Heikki
claim both his first pole position, at the
British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and his first
race win, at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he
became the 100th driver to win a Formula 1 Grand
Prix.
FAIRUZ FAUZY PROFILE
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Mohamed Fairuz bin Mohamed Fauzy was born on 24
October 1982 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. From an
early age, Fairuz began displaying a natural
aptitude to speed. As a child, when most other
kids his age were watching cartoons or playing
with their friends, Fairuz could be found on a
go-kart circuit.
By the age of 12, he was already competing with
senior drivers in international races. In 1995, Fairuz, 13, clinched his first victory in one of
the Championships - the Formula TKM Race in
Buckmore Park, England, which became the base
from which he would launch his bid for Formula
1.
A host of other Championships followed,
including 5 times consecutively reigning
champion of the ASEAN Kart Prix from 1996-2000.
In 2000, Fairuz moved to the UK to participate
in his first international single-seater series
- Formula Ford Zetec Championship. After that
time, he participated in numerous races such as
the British Renault Sport Winter Series, British
Formula Renault Championship, British Formula 3
Scholarship Class and British Formula 3
Championship Class.
Fauzy moved to the GP2 Series in 2005, signing
with the DAMS team and becoming the first
Malaysian and one of only a number of Asian
drivers in the Championship. Fairuz then
contested the Championship in 2006 with the
Super Nova International Racing team. During
this period, he was also one of the A1 Team
Malaysia's drivers alongside Alex Yoong in the
A1GP. |
After GP2, Fauzy was confirmed as Spyker F1's
test and reserve drivers for 2007. He also
participated in World Series by Renault in 2007
with Cram Competition team and in 2008 with
Fortec Motorsport. Additionally, in 2008, he
participated in GP2 Asia Series driving for the
Super Nova team. He became the number 1 Asian
driver after finishing fourth out of 26 drivers
in the Championship.
Fairuz was the nominated first driver for A1
Team Malaysia in the 2008/09 season and
participated in the World Series by Renault for
MofazFortec Motorsport, the first Malaysian
motorsport outfit in the Championship, finishing
the season in second place with an impressive 98
points and one race win.
THE LOGO
The new Lotus F1 Racing logo has been developed
to represent the teams future and heritage. We
have designed a typeface which is progressive
and bold, yet instantly fitting with the teams
long and successful history. Taking clues from
the iconic Jim Clarke Type 49 the new 'DNA'
device uses the Lotus colours in a recognizable
form which is extremely flexible and will become
a key element of the new team brand.
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