Lotus’s new Formula One team has put on hold plans to relocate from Norfolk to Malaysia.
When the team was launched last September, plans were revealed by team boss Tony Fernandes to move from Hingham, Norfolk, to Malaysia’s F1 track at Sepang.
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But the involvement of Group Lotus is likely to see the team remain in Norfolk, according to Lotus’s Gino Rosato, who moved to the road car side of Lotus from Ferrari’s F1 team last year.
Rosato said Lotus F1 and Group Lotus were “partners” and new Lotus CEO Danny Bahar was keen to see greater integration between the two firms. Rosato said this would include Lotus F1 remaining in Norfolk.
Fernandes confirmed that the move to Malaysia was on hold, but said he would still like to see the team based there in future.
“Right now, stability is important and there are no plans to move to Malaysia yet," he said. "In time, obviously, it would be great to be in Malaysia because there's a Formula One track, but we have no immediate plans to move.”
Although the team is based at Hingham, much of the design of Lotus’s T127 has been undertaken in Cologne, Germany. Many of Lotus’s staff have been appointed from Toyota, which closed down its F1 operation late last year.
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Re: Lotus F1 to stay in Norfolk
If the design staff are in Germany, does Mike Gasgoyne still commute daily by private jet to Cologne, like he did when he was at Toyota?
Re: Lotus F1 to stay in Norfolk
It would be a rather silly idea to do. If they were to do so, they will be the first F1 team to be based in South East Asia in the history of F1. Moving the team to Malaysia is no difference from moving it to Timbaktu.
There is no logic what so ever to move there. UK has & will always be the centre of F1's activities. Most if not all the supporting industries are based in UK. Is all has to do with national pride & nothing else. If that is the case, then why use Lotus's name to enter F1. They should use Proton's name instead. Frankly, I don't think they will go very far as they are merely living on past glories. Unfortunately Colin C., Jim C., Aryton S. & Emerson F. have all left the scene. They are consider as a 3 tier team very much so a "new kid on the block" so to speak. You cannot run a "budget" F1 team like the way you run a budget airline.
Re: Lotus F1 to stay in Norfolk
The links between Lotus Racing (F1) and Lotus Group (Cars & Engineering) are clearly greater than we were previously told.
http://www.lotus-central.com/en/news/356-lotus-evora-cup-testmedia-day.html
Must admit, I am struggling to work out where the Caparo T1 in British Racing Green with a yellow stripe & "J Trulli" on the engine cover fits into the picture.
Can anyone shed any light on this?
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