Lotus has returned in a big way this year in both Formula 1 and IndyCar. The two teams are effectively unrelated, with the F1 team being run by Tony Fernandes, with an agreement to use the Lotus name from its owner Proton, the Malaysian government-owned car company. The American team (below) is run by Kevin Kalkhoven’s KV Racing and has had a fairly traumatic year with former F1 driver Takuma Sato having had six crashes in 10 races and a best finish of 15th.
The Formula 1 team has been improving but the rush to be ready in time for the debut season meant that the cars were not as competitive as they could have been with a little more time. The plan now is to make a big leap forward at the start of 2011, when rumours suggest the cars could be powered by Renault engines.
The latest Lotus development is the appearance at the weekend of the Litespeed Formula 3 team in the Lotus livery. The team says that the new livery underlines the link with Lotus Racing, as part of its role in the F1 team’s driver development scheme. The team currently employs Jay Bridger.
Lotus Racing boss Tony Fernandes has also been quoted in recent days saying that the team may take a look at getting involved in IndyCar itself in 2012 when the new rules come into force. These are interesting and feature a Dallara monocoque around which other engineering companies are allowed to design their own bodywork, on the understanding that they will supply the aerodynamic package to any other team that wants it. Fernandes says that he approves of the concept and says that he hopes Lotus Racing “can become active in IndyCar.”
With Formula 1 teams now being forced to reduce their aerodynamic development work, there is an opportunity for all those with more one wind tunnel to use the other to develop a bodywork package for the American market. Although the costs of these is being kept to a minimum – and profits would be limited – it would nonetheless provide F1 teams with an opportunity to have cars running in their livery in the United States.
joeblogsf1 
Interesting point. I suppose an F1 team would be able write the costs of development off to lever their way into the sport if they so desired.
Question is, will Bernie let that happen?
Hi Joe
Not sure if you are aware, but Lotus Racing has also struck up an alliance with World Series by Renault/Formula Renault 3.5 team Mofaz Racing, rebranded in 2010 as ‘Junior Lotus Racing’, with the team also running in Lotus/Lotus Racing livery as it helps nurture talent for the Lotus Racing ladder
Heres a link:
http://www.worldseriesbyrenault.fr/en/teams_drivers/teams/Pages/JuniorLotusRacing.aspx
I like the forward thinking on Tony Fernandes part, the Lotus Racing logo incorporates a shape (rounded triangle/teardrop) ready to be filled with the Lotus Racing Logo when agreement is reached to use it.
JOS
correction: ” …filled with the Team Lotus logo…”
I watched the IRL announcement with a bunch of people on sidepodcast and as soon a the aero kits were announced we saw the potential for F1 teams to get involved. THe kits may be price limited to $70k but McLaren, Ferrari etc could easily take a big loss to guarantee having one of the best kits. The cars will not be named Dallaras after the chassis as normal convention dictates but will be named after the aero kit used. Imagine how much a McLaren or Ferrari winning the Indy 500 would be worth to either company. Well worth losing a few million on producing the best aero kit.
Ok you probably wont even print this question but…You have done a lot of article of Lotus recently (all glowingly positive) is there a reason for this or have I just watched to many conspiracy films?
Max Blake,
It is a positive story…
I suppose F1 teams could use the bodywork rule to test bits and pieces for their F1 cars.
It is a positive story.
I’m not sure why you included the foulmouthed Jim.
Cheers.
“Why would I watch the crapwagons of the IRL run F1 teams livery? I mean, you can call a steaming cow pie a Rose, but it’s still gonna stink like crap…”
Easy Jim, just don’t watch it. I, for one, find it to be quite an interesting series, but that’s my taste.
I gree with Joe on this. The Lotus story has been pretty positive, despite many putting them down at the start of the season for “using” the Lotus name to leverage their entry to F1.
Overall, they are the class of the bottom fo the class, with a strong likelihood that they’ll improve more as time goes by. Good luck to them, I say, and more power to Tony Fernandes’ arm
Leslie,
Fair point. It was included because I only scanned it quickly and did not read it properly. having read it I have now deleted it.
Whilst it would be awesome for F1 teams to get involved in IndyCar the main problem I see is that from 2012 forwards any team or corporation that develops new aerodynamic body work for their IndyCars must also make the same body work available to all the other teams for a maximum price of $US70,000.
I think this alone will kill the desire of any F1 team, or any team from another series to want to get involved in IndyCar. From a competition and business point of view why spend millions of dollars developing new better faster bodywork when you have to supply it to your competitors anyway for a maximum price of $70,000?
The new IndyCar rules will remove any competitive advantage gained by developing new bodywork, and will ensure anyone who throws money developing new bodywork won’t even make a return on their investiment.
For instance this year there are 32 drivers, so assuming your team has 3 drivers, that leave 29 other cars that might want to buy your bodywork. So assuming you sell bodywork to every other car on the grid at most you’ll make 29 x $US70,000 = $US2.03 million from selling your bodywork. When you consider the development costs of designing new bodywork, it isn’t a lot of money.
@Pinball,
You raise a very good point. But consider that an F1 team would be doing this as a side business and therefore, use it as a “loss leader” to promote their sponsors, engineering or develop drivers. I think it’s not unlikely as long as the team can take the financial hit.
I gotta say, I love the Lotus story this year. Perhaps because I’m in the process of buying a Lotus Esprit Turbo at the moment, but this seems to be a textbook example of how to revive an iconic, classic racing brand the right way. I was a bit sceptical at first, but Tony seems so far to be not putting a foot wrong, so I’m chuffed. Would that someone could eventually do the same to Tyrell, Brabham etc, ie properly ressurrect the teams and what they represented, rather than merely purchase a name and stick it on the side…
Ok. Let’s try this again, seeing as a word used regularly on The Simpsons offends 1 of the readers of this blog.
Now I have to try and remember what I wrote out yesterday… 🙄
Why would I watch the slow ugly dallara of the IRL run F1 teams livery? I mean, you can call a stinking corpse flower a Rose, but it’s still gonna stink like dead rotting flesh…
And why would any sponsor want to pay good $$$ to run on the slow ugly cars in the IRL???
Nobody watches at the track, or on tv.
There’s loads of bare aluminum showing at every IRL event.
Record low Nielsen TV ratings for the Indy 500 and bare aluminum showing for the crown jewel of the series. Even in Indiana, people don’t care anymore.
Nathan’s Hotdog eating contest was watched by more viewers than the IRL at Watkins Glen over the 4th of July weekend this year.
F1 has no presence in the USA, but the tape delayed F1 races on FOX are pulling higher Nielsen ratings than the live IRL races on ABC. Even casual race fans can tell the difference between top level race cars and drivers and a bunch of clowns driving clown cars.
In short, to throw money at the IRL would be like flushing it down the Toilet.
Oh yeah. Don’t forget about the IRL charging $200,000.00 for the right to add your wings to the Dallara.
BTW Joe,
You might consider doing something with Leigh O’Gorman’s post seeing as it contains a quote of my use of the offending word…
I also wrote in my blog that one of the possibile scenario coming from 2012 IndyCar new rules is the possibility that some F1 teams could be interested to build an own kit…this doesn’t mean that thay have necessarily to build a new kit, but maybe theay just can adapt one of their aero kit from Formula 1 to IndyCar…and I think this would reduce production costs…the same assumptions can be made for teams from other series, like ALMS, or for engine builders that can build an aero kit suitable to their engines…in short, there are many possible scenarios…we’ll see what happens…
Sure, Jim, there is little to like about the Izod Indy Car Series now, but at least they are looking towards the future and trying to find a way out of the mess, a lot of which was not of their making. Yes, the cars are underpowered, and look slow and ungainly on the road courses, but the current cars were not originally designed for use on road or street courses. I am glad that the IICS have branched out to include these new venues. The point I’m trying to make is that the new car is not about the present. It’s about ways to get more seats in the seats. It is real easy to moan and complain when you are not paying for the cost of the Indy Car Series. Sounds to me like they are doing the best they can, and I for one would love to see McLarens racing the Ferraris in the Indy 500.