Lotus F1 E20 Breaks Cover

Lotus chose to launch the machine in an online broadcast from its factory. The E20 name is to commemorate the 20th F1 chassis designed at  Enstone which is the base for its HQ,

“Our naming of the chassis to recognise Enstone’s importance to the team’s evolution highlights our recognition of the contribution of the facility and the personnel who work tirelessly every year to produce the very best car possible. We certainly hope that this is the case with the E20 and we are looking forward to revealing the car to the world and seeing it out on track for the first time,” said team boss Eric Boullier.

Thanks to the end of branding dispute with Tony Fernandes, the owner of the team rival, which will be called Caterham F1, E20 will be driven under the name Lotus F1 Team and not Lotus-Renault GP.

The E20 keeps the traditional black and gold colours used by the original Lotus F1 team in the 1970s and 80s, and features prominent new sponsorship from Unilever brands Rexona and Clear.

Lotus has brought 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen back into F1 to drive one of the cars, with '11 GP2 champion Romain Grosjean as his team-mate and ex-Virgin race driver Jerome D'Ambrosio acting as reserve.

The target for the duo is fourth in the Constructors’ championship this year, set by team owner Gerard Lopez of Genii Capital. Last year, the Lotus sponsored Renault team started strongly with two podiums in the first two races, but eventually finished a distant fifth, just six points ahead of Force India.

source: Paultan, Autosport

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Proton To Participate in S2000 WRC Next Year

Proton will enter next year's Super 2000 World Rally Championship, starting its programme with P-G Andersson and Giandomenico Basso driving on the Monte Carlo Rally.

In addition to its maiden SWRC entry, the Malaysian firm has also confirmed it will defend its multiple Asia-Pacific Rally Championship titles with Andersson and APRC champion driver Alister McRae. The British driver is also expected to play a part in Proton's SWRC assault.

McRae, who is preparing for next year's Dakar, admitted he was delighted to be staying with the British-based Proton Motorsports team.

"The car really came on very well last year," said McRae. "There was a gap between a couple of the APRC rounds when I was out of the car and when I went back to it, it was obvious how hard the team had been working. There's more development to come from the car, but it's got great potential.

"Winning the APRC title was a big thing for me and the chance to go back and defend the championship is great news. I'm looking forward to being back in the car and competing at a very high level again."

After Monte Carlo, Proton will also tackle Sweden, New Zealand, Finland, Spain, France and Britain. Its APRC campaign gets underway in Malaysia in the spring.

Proton team principal Chris Mellors said he was looking forward to another busy season with the Satria Neo S2000s.

"Two cars in SWRC and APRC is a very good programme for 2012," said Mellors. "We enjoyed a lot of success in APRC last year and we learned a great deal to take forward into this year. It's going to be an exciting time for the team."

Mellors added that he hoped to see Proton represented in the IRC again.

"Proton is moving in a different direction for next season," he said, "which means we won't be in the IRC. We are working on some possible options which would mean private cars in that championship. I have to thank Eurosport and IRC for a great series: we had some tremendous competition there."

originally posted: Autosport

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Caterham F1 Team Unveils New Logo

The Caterham F1 Team has unveiled its new logo for the 2012 Formula 1 season, when the outfit will race under its new name.

The team made its debut last year and raced as Team Lotus in 2011 but, after a long battle over its name, it will be renamed Caterham in 2012, with the current Renault team becoming Lotus.

Caterham revealed its new image on Wednesday.

Team boss Tony Fernandes insisted the Caterham move makes sense for his outfit.

"With Team Lotus, I would have battled to the end if I felt it was the right thing to do, but when you take a dispassionate look at where we were it made absolute sense to start with a clean sheet, and Caterham has given us that chance," said Fernandes in the team's magazine.

"It's the best possible solution for where we want to go - partly because it gives us complete control over everything we do and, obviously, because there's simply no point racing to promote a road car company I don't own. The road car business has always been a sector I've wanted to explore and so here we are.

"But I can't stress enough; this is a serious business venture for us. If I just needed a new name, I could have called it anything, but the synergy with Caterham works better - and it's what I do – take a small business with the correct core values and purpose and expand it and grow it into the global marketplace."

originally posted: Autosport

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Lotus’s Opinion On The Driver Line Up For Lotus Renault GP F1 Team in 2012

Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar says Renault has delivered proof of its resolve to get back to the front in Formula 1 after opting for talent over sponsorship in its driver choice for 2012.

On the back of the bold decisions to lure Kimi Raikkonen back to F1, and sign Romain Grosjean at the expense of Vitaly Petrov, Bahar believes the soon-to-be-called Lotus outfit has shown how committed it is to success.

"It shows the determination that we have, and it shows that there is understanding of what it will take," explained Bahar during a media lunch in London on Monday.

"The team's two main partners [Gerard Lopez and Eric Lux] said, 'look this isn't about commercial matters and going for the highest bidder, it was about going for the best drivers we can get.'

"We did an analysis together and we said, although Vitaly has a sweeter commercial element to him, we shall go for pure racing. It may be more difficult for us commercially but we are up for the challenge. And we will raise the money if it is necessary."

Bahar believes that following a difficult 2011 campaign, where Renault drifted down the order after taking podium finishes in the first two races of the season, a big reshuffle was needed to lift spirits for next year.

When asked by AUTOSPORT if he felt the team needed to act so boldly, Bahar said: "I think it did, and will continue to need this. With last year's performance nobody was really happy, especially with the development it took, so it was in every shareholder and partner's interest to go for the best possible set-up we have.

"We have to make a lot of changes and improvements to the technical areas, but the management knows that and they are working very, very much on that. I am sure it will be better. I am sure."

Bahar has also thrown his full support behind the job that team principal Eric Boullier is doing - despite recent wild speculation suggesting that the Frenchman could be replaced by former grand prix driver Gerhard Berger.

"Eric's job is not the easiest one," explained Bahar. "It is the same as with any football manager, after a not so good year you are often criticised. He will be criticised and it is not the last time he will be criticised, but the important thing is what he learns out of it, and he identifies the areas where he has to strengthen it.

"And he has identified it. He has a clear plan going forward and we trust him to manage it perfectly. There is no reason to doubt him. But, the operational involvement is mainly driven by Genii – Gerard Lopez and Eric Lux – and we trust them, we have a good relationship and they are doing it."

Bahar has recently extended his contract at Lotus by another four years, following meetings with the company's owner Proton last week, and believes with the 'distraction' of the Lotus naming row now over, that there will be a bigger marketing push for his company in F1.

He also suggested that future plans for closer co-operation between Group Lotus and Genii – either through the car company buying into the team or Lopez taking a shareholding in the car company – remained a possibility.

"Talks are always here, and they have been here from the beginning," said Bahar. "There is a road map that he [Lopez] and I put together, and we are following that road map.

"But I cannot tell you more of what, or how it will happen – but what I can definitely tell you is that we are not working against each other, despite the speculations I have seen suggesting one of us is trying to buy out the other one."

originally posted: Autosport

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Lotus Has Announced The Appointment of John Iley as Performance Director

Team Lotus finally confirmed on Thursday that leading aerodynamicist John Iley is to join the Hingham-based outfit as its performance director next year.

Iley, who has most recently been with McLaren, has worked with Lotus's technical chief Mike Gascoyne earlier in his career at both Jordan and Renault.

"We are absolutely delighted that John has taken up the challenge we have offered him, to help take us to the next level on and off track in one of the key areas of performance in Formula 1.” said Riad Asmat, Team Lotus CEO.

"It is a real sign of our growth and development as a serious contender for long-term honours that we can attract someone of John's calibre and we are all very excited about the contribution he will make to our future success from the moment he starts work with our team." he added.

Due to his contractual situation with McLaren, Iley will not be able to join Team Lotus until June 2012, by which time it will be known as Caterham.

"John greatly contributed to the aerodynamic capability at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes but has taken the decision to accept an offer from Caterham F1 team for 2012 and beyond. We enjoyed working with John and wish him well for the future." said McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh.

originally posted: Yahoo Eurosport

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Exclusive: Lotus F1 Racing Unveils Lotus Cosworth T127 in London

Lotus became the latest Formula 1 team to launch its 2010 challenger,  as the wraps officially came off the new car in London on Friday.

As revealed exclusively by AUTOSPORT's spy shot earlier this week,  the new car - named T127 - carries the colours used by the legendary  team back in the 1905s and 1960s.

The Lotus name is returning to Formula 1 this year after having quit  the sport at the end of the 1994 season. The team is now owned by  Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes.

The new car was shaken down at the Silverstone circuit earlier this  week and the team is scheduled to begin testing at the Jerez circuit  alongside rivals from next week.

Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen will be the man in charge of  racing the Lotus cars this year.

Lotus is the second new team to complete and launch its car ahead of  the start of the 2010 season. Technical chief Mike Gascoyne said Lotus  is aiming to do a professional job this year.

"We are looking in really good shape," Gascoyne told AUTOSPORT  earlier this week. 

"We have to improve the pace of our car and the  results from wind tunnel, but that will come with time.

"Our first aim was to be on the grid - to be a professional team  where everything is to be F1 standard. We definitely will do that. The  team will look good and step one has been achieved."

article originally appeared on: autosport

 Click Here To View Over 20 Exclusive Images of Lotus F1 Cosworth T127

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Exclusive Spyshot of Lotus F1 Completing Shakedown at Silverstone

Ahead of its launch in London on Friday, the Lotus F1 team has shaken down its car at Silverstone.Reserve driver Fairuz Fauzy was given the honour of driving the car during the brief test on the short Stowe circuit, before the car heads to Jerez to take part in the second of two sessions at the Spanish venue.

During the test, the car used was running in the iconic Lotus's yellow and green colours as seen in the spyshot above that was posted by Autosport. However, it's not clear whether Lotus will keep them for the upcoming season or just used for the initial test. 

Also notable are the sponsor logos of Proton, Malaysian tourism, the Tune Group and Naza Corporation, but not team boss Tony Fernandes' airline AirAsia.

Team chief executive Riad Asmat indicated to the Star newspaper that more sponsors could be unveiled at Friday's official launch.

"You can see from the livery of the car who will be supporting us. It will be a mix of Malaysian and international sponsors," he told the Malaysian publication.

Lotus’ first test-run at Silverstone was emotional on a lot of levels for those involved in the team’s return to Formula One. Even Tony Fernandes, Lotus’ team principal, admitted that he got emotional after watching the car make its first test run around Silverstone. 

"Shakedown started. Quite a few tears." said Tony Fernandes in his Twitter account.

Lotus' shakedown saw it become the second of the four new teams to get a car on track after Virgin completed its shakedown at Silverstone last week and was just 21 weeks after an entry for 2010 was secured.

“It was a big moment to see the car turn a wheel for the first time,” Gascoyne toldBBC Sport. “We had no major issues or anything that gives us concern for the future.

"To have done everything from scratch to a running car in 21 weeks is a fantastic achievement. It was a brief shakedown as we didn't get some of the last parts from our suppliers until 6am on Tuesday morning, but that was to be expected given the timescales. 

"We only got to the track at lunchtime but it went pretty well. We were able to do a few laps, which was perfect and great reward for everyone for all the effort they've put in. We got a good number of laps in and we did all the systems checks so we can run in anger in Jerez."

Following Friday's launch, the team will head to Jerez de la Frontera where it will join the majority of its rivals in the third pre-season test of 2010, scheduled to get underway on 17 February. It will be the second of the new teams to take to the track.

source: motorsport ; crash ; pitpass

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SIC, Petronas Kick Off F1 Promotion In KLCC

As the world anxiously waits in excitement for the Formula 1 Championship season, promoters of the 2010 Formula 1 PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix kicked of their promotion campaign in Kuala Lumpur amidst strong confidence of a large turnout event on 2 to 4 April in Sepang. 

In a joint promotion at the PETRONAS Philharmonic Hall Foyer within the capital’s leading shopping complex Suria KLCC, event organizer and promoter Sepang International Circuit (SIC) and title sponsor PETRONAS also launched the ‘I Love F1’ campaign to generate greater interest and increasing the awareness among Malaysians for the sports and in support of the 1Malaysia campaign in promoting multi-racial harmony and understanding among the people through F1.

“This should be the most exciting season in years in Formula 1 especially from the Malaysian perspective and it is our wish to see everyone in the ‘I Love F1’ t-shirt filling the circuit on race day,” says Razlan Razali, who is SIC Chief Executive Officer and event director for the 2010 Formula 1 PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix.
With PETRONAS also being title sponsor of the new Mercedes GP-PETRONAS F1 Team, which effectively is the defending champion Brawn GP, will be the team the world will watch as it sensationally brings back seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher to the racing grid.
With Schumacher’s slick driving skills and the engineering brilliance of Ross Brawn, its supporters are brimming with confidence that the Mercedes GP-PETRONAS will be among the top contenders for the world championship this season.
All the competing teams would go into testing in February as they start preparation for a 19-round championship, which will open in Sakhir at the Bahrain Grand Prix from March 12 to 14. Malaysia will host Round 3 of the world championship at Sepang Circuit from April 2 to 4.

The 2010 race in Sepang will mark the 12th edition of the Formula 1 PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix, which can be traced back to October 1999 which saw Schumacher making a comeback in Sepang after a long lay-off following an accident at the British Grand Prix earlier in July where he broke his right leg.
Also known as the 1Malaysia Racing Team, the Lotus F1 Racing Team is bringing back the highly successful brand back into the F1 world with the backing of top Malaysian corporate companies that included Proton as the owner of Lotus Group, Naza Group and Air Asia.

Most prominent would be the no refueling rule, which will demand bigger fuel tanks and deeper intelligence in preserving fuel. Pitstops, however, remained necessary as teams would be required to use both sets of tires of different compounds. 

The 2010 Formula 1 PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix itself would have a change with the 12th edition starting at 4pm instead of 5pm as it had last year. Prior to 2009, the Malaysian race had traditionally started at 3pm; but had been delayed to boost TV viewing in the European sector.

“As to what we organized last year, we will be bringing again the drivers’ autograph session at the track. We will also have entertainment and activities at the Mall Area throughout the event and a big after-race concert. … It will be big this year” said Razlan.


With all these supporting elements, Razlan has expressed confidence that the 2010 Formula 1 PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix would draw a capacity crowd and even breaking the 2008 Race Day attendance of over 120,000 trackside spectators.

“Our tickets are priced as low as RM100 and as we did in previous years, we are offering discounts for students and special packages for groups,” said Razlan, adding that purchases of selected tickets between now and January 31 would entitle the buyer a 50 percent discount on a second ticket.

Show your passion for F1 Malaysia and get your ‘I Love F1’ t-shirt and the 2010 PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix tickets at all participating outlets.

originally appeared on malaysiangp

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Lotus Racing confirm London's Royal Horticultural Hall as launch vanue

Lotus Racing today confirmed that the long awaited launch of the 2010 Lotus Formula 1 racing car will take place on the 12th of February in central London.

The Royal Horticultural Hall has been selected by the team as the perfect venue to unveil one of the sporting world's most eagerly anticipated new challengers and an audience of 400 guests, including all staff of the newly formed team, will be the first to see the livery of the new Lotus Racing car.

originally appeared on lotusf1racing

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SIC Targets 100,000 Spectators On Final Day Of F1 Malaysia

Buoyed by two local teams, Sepang International Circuit (SIC) is targeting to woo 100,000 spectators to watch the final day of the 2010 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix from April 2 to 4.

Its chairman, Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir said the target was also based on the total turnout of 120,000 spectators recorded at the last grand prix hosted by SIC.

"I expect a turnout of nearly 100,000 on the last day on Sunday. In the last edition, nearly 60,000 spectators turned up on the last day," he told reporters after the launch of the 2010 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix 2010 here Thursday.

The two local teams are Lotus F1 Racing, backed by three businessmen, namely Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun and S.M Nasarudin S.M Nasimuddin, and Mercedes GP Petronas.

Mokhzani said the Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix 2010 would start at 4pm, one hour earlier than the previous edition.

He said the time still suited viewers in Europe, who would be following the live telecast.

Present were Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Petronas adviser Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Petronas president Tan Sri Hassan Merican.

originally appeared on bernama

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Lotus F1 Reveals Launch Date: 12 February !!

Team Principal Tony Fernandes today confirmed that the world will see the Lotus F1 Racing car officially launch on 12th February. 

The location of the launch will be revealed soon, but for the time being F1 fans worldwide will be pencilling in 12th February as the first time they will see the team's 2010 challenger, the first new Lotus F1 car unveiled since 1994.

                            

Writing on his Twitter account on Thursday, Fernandes said the team will turn on its car's engine for the first time on 5th February, before holding an official launch event a week later.

source: autosport ; lotusf1racing

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Malaysian GP boosted by Lotus and Petronas

Lotus's return to Formula 1 and the decision by Petronas to sponsor the Mercedes GP team have been a huge boost to the Malaysian Grand Prix, claims its circuit boss.

Razlan Razali, the CEO of the Sepang track, believes that interest stirred up by the Malaysian-backed Lotus effort and the national oil company's affiliation with Michael Schumacher have provided an unexpected boost to his venue.

"The last six months have seen a tremendous development for Malaysian motorsport," Razali said on the main stage at the AUTOSPORT International Show.

"We have seen Lotus F1, which is backed by Tony Fernandes as the new Malaysian team.

"Then Petronas was searching for a new partner. There was a lot of speculation and suddenly out of the blue, it came out with Mercedes. It is a really good development, a world champion team, with the return of Schumacher.

"So for us, as Malaysians, it cannot get any better than this. It is good for us and the country especially."

Razali is hopeful that the event's shift in start time to 4pm, one hour earlier than last year, will help avoid a repeat of the forced abandonment of the 2009 grand prix through bad weather and poor light.

"We haven't seen rain like it!" he said of last year's race.

"It was totally different for us as well. At the 2009 F1 race, it was my first F1 event, so it was not helping. But we have shifted the time to 4pm this year and hopefully the weather will be okay this year, but who can control that?

"It was crazy. You couldn't do anything, and there was no room for error really. We ran out of light so we could not continue the race. It was sad, good for television, but I did pity the guys who came to the track on the day."

originally appeared on autosport by Jonathan Noble

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Heikki Kovalainen confident over his switch to Lotus

 

Heikki Kovalainen is hopeful he has joined the most competitive of the new teams in the 2010 Formula 1 season.

 

The Finn, who joins Jarno Trulli in the Norfolk-based team, has had his seat fitted at the team's Hingham factory.

 

He told BBC Radio Norfolk:

 

"We want to be ahead of the other new teams, that's the minimum target.

 

"I think it's difficult to predict before we actually see the car on the track, and see some lap-times, and see how this first car will be behaving."

 

Kovalainen drove alongside Lewis Hamilton for McLaren in 2008 and 2009, but his place this year has been taken by reigning world champion Jenson Button.

 

The 28-year-old admits he had other options, but was quickly sold on the new enterprise when he spoke to team principle Tony Fernandes and technical director Mike Gascoyne.

 

"It wasn't a difficult decision once I met Mike and Tony, who are very much pushing this programme forward, it became very clear to me that they are very serious.

 

"The aim is to become a successful race team that is competitive even in the medium term, obviously at the beginning it will be tough," he said.

 

"Before I knew about this Lotus project I was talking to other teams, but when I spoke to Mike and Tony is became quite easy," he added.

 

originally appeared on: bbc

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Lotus F1 Testing Debut in Jerez in Mid February

Lotus is scheduled to get its new Formula 1 car out on track for the first time at Jerez in Spain. The Malaysian-backed team will join the final two F1 test sessions before the Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled in mid March. The race car is set to be driven for the first time at Jerez from February 17.

 "We are actually a week ahead. When we got the entry on September 12, our schedule said we would fire up on February 12 - we are now scheduled to fire up on February 5.

"After that, we will be at the second Jerez test and then the final one at Barcelona. That will be the first time the world will see the car in action," Mike Gascoyne told Autosport. 

"We have made pretty rapid progress, and if we can maintain that then we will be in pretty good shape come Barcelona mid-season - and that is really where you have to target where you've got to be.

"Yes, there is the getting there – but we've done the getting there now, we are going to be there, and we are going to be in professional shape and we are going to be okay.

"Now it is about where are you mid-season, where are you end of season, and I want to end the season beating Force Indias and Toro Rossos and whoever is struggling – maybe Saubers. I want to be picking them off."

source: autosport

 

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Sepang set to extend MotoGP deal

Malaysia is set to continue hosting a round of the MotoGP World Championship through to 2015 after a multi-year extension was put into motion.

Sepang International Circuit (SIC)'s board of directors yesterday accepted a proposal from MotoGP rights holder Dorna to renew the deal.

The deal to be signed with rights holders Dorna, subject to ministry approval, is a further boost for the sport in Malaysia, with the expected announcement of a team from the Southeast Asian country competing in the 125cc class.

The circuit's chief said the new deal only makes sense if a Malaysian rider is taking part in the championship.

"If we agree to the deal with Dorna, it comes with the understanding that we will have a Malaysian rider competing until 2015," SIC chief executive officer, Razlan Razali, told The Star newspaper.

"Dorna will also help us to develop our home grown Super Series programme. The aim is to develop young talent to participate in future world championships.

"After all, what is the point of having a Malaysian Motorcycle GP with no promising local talent coming up?"

source: autosport ; timesofmalta

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2010 IRC Preparation For Proton

Proton continued its preparations for the 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge season by putting three leading drivers through their paces during a test in Wales recently.

Finns Anton Alen and Matti Rantanen and Belgian Francois Duval all drove a Proton Satria Neo Super 2000 at the Sweet Lamb test facility in Wales.

"We had three great drivers who gave us some very positive and valuable feedback. From our point of view one of the most encouraging things is that we put the equivalent of a world championship rally distance on the car without having to do any work to it." said Chris Mellors, who runs MEM, the factory Proton team

"The car felt very stable and the engine had a really good spread of torque right from the bottom all the way to the top."said Alen, who is considering Proton as one of his options for next season's IRC.

A couple of days after the test, Duval slipped on some ice at home in Belgium and broke two vertebrae in his back. He is expected to recover fully, but will be out of action for at least eight weeks.

source: rallybuzz

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Michael Schumacher Signed Up For Mercedes GP For His F1 Return

Michael Schumacher has signed a one year deal with Mercedes. The seven-times Formula One champion made a comeback into Formula one after retirement and will be seen in action in F1in 2010.The news of Schumacher’s return to Formula One racing broke on Tuesday.

According to reports, the 40-year-old German finalized the deal at team's offices in Brackley, England .The champion who earned his titles in association with Benetton and Ferrari, had quit F1 at the end of 2006.

According to media reports, Schumacher will receive 7 million euros .Mercedes, who have taken over champions Brawn, have signed Nico Rosberg as their other driver for 2010.

Schumacher had recently cancelled comeback plans with Ferrari this year as replacement for injured Brazilian Felipe Massa due to recurrence of his neck injury he had encountered in a motorcycle accident.

A move to Mercedes will see his unison with Britain’s Ross Brawn. The technical director had guided Schumacher to his record seven titles and 91 race wins. Schumacher has been working as a consultant for Ferrari since his retirement but the Italian team had made it clear that it was not a binding agreement.

Rosberg, who signed for Mercedes shortly after the season ended, has already warned Schumacher he faces a tough task getting back up to speed with F1 but said he would welcome him as a team-mate.

"It will not be easy for him," Rosberg was quoted in German newspaper Stuttgarter Zeitung.

"When you stay away from F1 for a long time, it takes time to get used to all the test sessions again. It's not simple.

"I have no idea if it (a comeback) is true or not, but if he did join that would be an absolutely fantastic move."

Mercedes chief executive Nick Fry on Schumacher return had said earlier this month, "I think that just adds another very interesting element. Can a 40 or 41-year-old compete against someone who is 24 years old? In other sports people have proven that they are very capable even at that age."

source: india-server ; bbc uk

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Alex Yoong Shows Disappointment Towards Petronas-Mercedes Deal

Despite being linked with both Sauber and the Malaysian backed Lotus team, Malaysian oil company Petronas has signed as title sponsor for Mercedes for 2010.

The country's first - and so far only - Formula One driver Alex Yoong, who is now head of driver development for Lotus, has expressed his despair at the deal on Twitter.

"Petronas signs with Mercedes GP," he wrote. "Words fail me. Mercedes is a good team, no doubt, but what Lotus is doing is completely ground-breaking and brave and Petronas not seeing that fills me with shame."

The exact length and value of the Petronas deal has not been announced, but team principal Ross Brawn welcomed the news.

"Everyone at Mercedes GP is delighted to confirm our long-term agreement with Petronas and we look forward to working closely with our new partner in the future," he said.

"Our plans for the new season are progressing well, as is the development of our 2010 challenger, and we look forward to seeing the car run in the new Silver Arrows and Petronas livery at the Valencia test in February."

The sponsorship is good news for Mercedes, after German consumer goods company Henkel announced it would not be honouring a deal with the team as it was brokered by an unauthorised member of staff. However, Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug said the contract with Petronas would ensure the team's competitiveness in 2010.

"Within the limits of the new Formula One resource restrictions, the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team will be well positioned to achieve our goals. We will all strive to present efficient success in the future knowing at the same time that the new season, with some fundamental rule changes, will be a particularly challenging one."

source: espnf1

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Petronas ties up with Mercedes in F1, shocking news for Malaysia-backed Lotus

Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas has confirmed a long-term title sponsorship deal with the Mercedes Grand Prix team, just says after saying that it would not be involved in Formula 1 as a team sponsor next season.

Having been associated for over a decade with the Sauber - later BMW - team, Petronas explained last week that it would not continue in F1 as a team sponsor next year but remain only as title sponsor for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

However, Monday's news marks the first large outside funding for the Brackley-based Mercedes, with a concept livery released by the team showing Petronas branding on the front and rear wings of the car which, due to their sizes and visibility to onlookers, are two of the more expensive areas for logo-showing on an F1 car.

"Everyone at Mercedes GP is delighted to confirm our long-term agreement with Petronas and we look forward to working closely with our new partner in the future," commented Mercedes Team Principal Ross Brawn.

"The collaboration of the premium automotive brand Mercedes-Benz and a company as prestigious as Petronas gives our team a fantastic base from which to achieve our ambitions of competing at the top level of Formula 1 and building on the success of 2009, which saw the team achieve the Constructors' and Drivers' Championships.

"Our plans for the new season are progressing well, as is the development of our 2010 challenger, and we look forward to seeing the car run in the new silver arrows and Petronas livery at the Valencia test in February."

The news is likely to come as a particular blow to the newly-formed Lotus team which, under Malaysian ownership and soon to be based at Malaysia's Sepang circuit, was always tipped as the most likely candidate for a Petronas contract.

source: malaysiangp 

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Kovalainen To Drive Proton Satria In Finnish Arctic Rally

Heikki Kovalainen looks set to contest next month's Arctic Lapland Rally in his native Finland.

It was reported at the end of the 2009 season that the 28-year-old was keen to resume his hobby of rallying, which was forbidden under the terms of his McLaren contract.

"Heikki is here to drive in Formula 1. That's why he was in Malaysia. But, maybe there is a chance for the rally car. He went and sat in the car and he was very excited about it. It would be a great story, but at the moment no discussions have taken place at all. He would need permission, the rally is dangerous, there is a lot of speculation on this - and that's all it is right now. Nothing is agreed." said Autosport’s source.

Kovalainen has contested the Arctic Rally four times in the past, and his new deal with Lotus looks set to pave the way for a reprise at the end of January.

While in Malaysia for the announcement of his 2010 F1 contract, the Finn sat in a Proton Satria Neo S2000 rally car that had been used the day before with Alister McRae at the wheel.

Proton is the majority owner of the Lotus Cars company, and the Turun Sanomat newspaper reports that the Satria Neo is Kovalainen's likely car for the Arctic Rally.

The Satria Neo S2000, built in Britain by MEM, was in Malaysia for Alister McRae to complete a series of demonstration runs for the Proton board of directors. Once the Scot had completed his driving in a forest stage around the Sepang circuit, the car was taken to Proton's centre of excellence, where Kovalainen asked to see it and then sit in it.

"Heikki was very interested in the rally car and it would be great if we could put something together [for the Arctic Rally]." told MEM team principal Chris Mellors.

Mellors confirmed there would be a car available for the F1 star, should the deal come together.

"I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem," said Mellors.

Another high profile competitor in the Arctic Rally will be Kimi Raikkonen, who is set to make his debut in the Citroen C4 he will drive in the 2010 WRC.

source: motorsport ; autosport

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