- Lotus Racing F1 team will use Renault engines in 2011, reports suggest.
- The team, a new entry this year, currently uses Cosworth engines.
- This Malaysian-financed, England-based team has resurrected one of F1's iconic names.
HINGHAM, England — Lotus Racing, the new incarnation of a magical Formula 1 marque, is set to switch from Cosworth to Renault power in 2011, according to reports.
Internet news stories assert that a meeting between officials from the two companies took place during the past weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but no announcement has been scheduled.
As the team's name is a tribute to the Team Lotus entry launched in 1958 by Colin Chapman and which competed in F1 through 1994, the French engine is also a reprise. Team Lotus won five of its 79 F1 victories with Renault power in 1985-'86.
Team Lotus also had great success with an engine branded Ford but produced by Cosworth, winning 47 races from 1967-'82 — and the 1965 Indianapolis 500, as well — before switching to Renault engines in 1983.
Ayrton Senna won four times with a Renault-powered Lotus, the first four victories of his illustrious career, with two victories in 1985 and two more in 1986. Elio de Angelis scored the other win for Lotus-Renault, in 1985.
The last two victories for Team Lotus, by Senna in 1987, came with Honda power.
Renault is now owner of the former Benetton racing team, but its best work this year has been turned in by customer entry Team Red Bull, which has won five races (Mark Webber three, Sebastian Vettel two) and has dominated qualifying.
Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli are the drivers for Lotus Racing.
According to rumors, the new Lotus Racing — based near the Lotus Cars factory, which is a direct descendant of Chapman's racing team — may also convert its name to the historic one, if a deal can be struck with David Hunt, brother of former F1 champion James Hunt, who owns the rights to the Team Lotus name.
Inside Line says: It takes the entire package — car, engine, drivers and team — but clearly, Renault power is quite an asset to Red Bull this year, and the works Renault team is getting better. — David Green, Correspondent
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blueprint1 says:
09:26 AM, 07/15/2010
Agreed on the Williams' success with the Cosworth mill, however the fuel tank issue was with the new Virgin team, not Lotus. Lotus still has a lot to learn, but they are the best of the three new teams (Gascoyne is on board), and are able to write big checks...
dagmar3 says:
08:26 AM, 07/15/2010
The Cosworth-powered Williams is doing much, much better than Cosworth-powered Lotus. The problems Lotus has are due to the first-year learning curve for F1 and not the powerplant. Didn't Lotus design their cars with fuel tanks that were too small for the longer races? The Renault engines will be cutting checks that the Lotus chassis can't cover.