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Lotus Racing has today confirmed the
ambitious next stage in laying the foundations
for the Anglo-Malaysian squad’s long-term
success in the highest echelons of global
motorsport, with the announcement that the team
will soon be starting work on the design and
build of a dedicated wind-tunnel facility at its
Hingham (UK) base. In addition, Lotus Racing and
Team AirAsia (competing in the 2011 GP2 series)
will be expanding operations at the existing
factory site to take over a further two units,
giving Team AirAsia a permanent home alongside
the growing Lotus Racing F1™ operation.
Mike Gascoyne, Lotus Racing Chief Technical
Officer, gave his thoughts on the exciting
developments in the growth of the team, saying
“To compete at the highest level in Formula One™
it is important to have all of the key elements
involved in the design, manufacturing, testing
and development of our cars under our direct
control and on the same site. Today’s
announcement about the wind tunnel, which will
be combined with additional production, office
and administrative elements, gives us both the
facility we need to lay the foundations for
long-term success and is a clear sign that we
are very serious about competing at the sharp
end of the grid as quickly as we can.
“We have already achieved a phenomenal rate of
growth for the team, and now have all the main
functions in place to take the next step up, but
I think it is important to also see that we are
using our budget effectively, and focusing
expenditure where it counts. Investing in our
own wind-tunnel, to work alongside our
substantial in-house CFD facility, is a key
element in establishing complete control of one
of the most important aspects of the design and
manufacturing process in our sport, and it is
clear to see that this sort of investment points
towards a very bright future for the team.”
Kamarudin Meranun, Deputy Team Principal, is
delighted with the progress Lotus Racing and
Team AirAsia are both making, on and off track
“We are very serious about not only competing at
the highest level on the global motorsport
stage, but also having the infrastructure in
place for sustained future success. Having our
own wind tunnel, and a permanent base for Team
AirAsia right next door to Lotus Racing, gives
us the opportunity to attract the best talent
from around the world to join us in making our
dream come true, and puts us on a par with some
of the most famous, established names in motor
racing. There is one key point to note, and that
is that we are lean and focused, and are using
the experience of our senior management to make
sure our resources are directed into areas that
provide positive, quantifiable returns. This is
the key to long-term success, and we are going
about it in the right way.”
Tony Fernandes, Lotus Racing Team Principal,
echoed Din and Mike’s thoughts on the exciting
new developments for both Team AirAsia and its
elder brothers at Lotus Racing, saying “Just
over a year ago there were four people in the
factory in Hingham, a team working in Cologne on
the design of this year’s car, and a third group
working in Italy on our aero programme. We have
reached where we are today because of the hard
work all of those people, and those who have
joined us since, put in in the early days, and I
want to thank them for helping us get to where
we are today. Now it is about the future, and
today’s announcement shows just how serious we
are about taking the next crucial step in the
continuing development of both Lotus Racing and
Team AirAsia. My fellow shareholders Din, Nasa
and I see the expansion of our base as not only
the very best home for both teams, but also as
the inspiration for future talent from around
the world to follow their dreams and join us to
compete at the highest level. One day very soon,
we see our cars in Formula One™ and GP2 being
designed, built and raced by teams of people
from Malaysia, Europe, South East Asia and from
around the world. This is a very exciting time
for our teams, and the dream is growing bigger
every single day.”
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