24 January 2011

Mansell back on track with Lotus

Lotus Motorsport are delighted to announce a new ambassador in the form of Nigel Mansell. Mansell will also complete the Type 125 test driver line-up as he joins fellow former F1 driver Jean Alesi and Lotus factory driver James Rossiter to put the F1 inspired customer race car through its paces at Yas Marina Circuit™ in Abu Dhabi this week

Nigel Mansell is no stranger to Lotus, over 30 years ago Lotus founder Colin Chapman spotted him when he was racing in F3 and signed him up as a development driver giving the future world champion his break into the sport. Mansell rejoins Lotus to take on another development role and, alongside Alesi and Rossiter, he will play a crucial role in ensuring that the Type 125 is the most enjoyable and challenging race car experience on the market.

Commenting on the announcement Nigel Mansell said: “I’m really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the Type 125, I can’t wait to see how it handles the new circuit in Abu Dhabi.

Returning to Lotus in this capacity brings back a lot of memories for me. I will always be extremely grateful to Lotus and especially to Colin Chapman, who was so inspirational and almost like a second father to me. I’ve been watching the developments that have been taking place recently at Hethel with their ambitious race and road car projects with great interest. I’m really delighted to see that Lotus is back where it belongs competing with the best in the top echelons of motorsport.”

Nigel isn’t the only member of the Mansell family to be welcomed into the current Lotus Motorsport fold. Mansell’s two sons, Leo and Greg received their Lotus debut just over a week ago as they formed part of the team that took on the gruelling Dubai 24 hour race, the team had a spectacular first outing in the new Evora GT4 Endurance race car, with a great performance resulting in a third place podium finish for the category.

Lotus Director of Motorsport Claudio Berro said: “We’re very pleased to have Nigel on board for the test in Abu Dhabi, he brings a wealth of experience to the team and we’re looking forward to getting his feedback on the Type 125 experience. In addition to the test, we also have a group of private individuals who will be the first to drive and possible own this incredible race car in Abu Dhabi and these guys will be looking to the professional test drivers for advice on how to get the most out of the car.”