Sunday, December 13, 2009

Lotus F1 sign Trulli & Kovalainen

Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli are unveiled as Lotus' new drivers
Kovalainen and Trulli have over 250 grands prix experience between them

Lotus F1 have confirmed Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen as their drivers for the 2010 Formula 1 season.

Trulli joins the new Malaysian-backed team from Toyota, while Kovalainen moves after he was left without a seat due to Jenson Button's move to McLaren.

The pair have signed three-year deals, with Malaysian Fairuz Fauzy named as the third driver.

"[The team] shows our seriousness to be a world championship contender," said Lotus team principal Tony Fernandes.

"Trulli will bring us a lot of experience to develop the team, and Heikki is a young driver but has phenomenal experience so I think we have two fantastic drivers with Fairuz as well."

We are not setting any big targets, we want to at least be the best of the new teams

Lotus F1 principal Tony Fernandes

Trulli was without a team after Toyota announced they were pulling out of the sport in November.

But the 35-year-old Italian- who won one grand prix for Renault in 2004 - has worked with Lotus's technical director Mike Gascoyne before, most recently when they were both at Toyota.

"I'm really looking forward to the challenge. I have been in Formula One for many years but there's something extremely motivating about helping to build the team from the ground level up," he said in a statement.

Like Trulli, Kovalainen has one grand prix victory to his name, won in Hungary for McLaren last year.

The 28-year-old, who was without a drive following world champion Button's move, warned that Lotus's return "will not be easy and we will have tough times at the beginning".

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He added: "We have to be realistic and keep the focus on developing the team to a state where we can operate like any other current top F1 team."

Lotus F1 are one of five new teams in next season's championship and will operate with a budget of about £55m.

Budget airline AirAsia entrepreneur Fernandes said he wants his team, backed by state-owned car company Proton, to be "the best among the new teams" in 2010.

"We are not setting any big targets, we want to at least be the best of the new teams, but I think it shows our seriousness today by announcing two really world-class drivers," Fernandes added at a ceremony in Malaysia's parliament in Kuala Lumpur.

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