Lotus Renault GP Signs 2007 F1 Champ Kimi Raikkonen

Photo Credit: Lotus Renault GP

Ahead of the final grand prix for the 2011 Formula 1 tour, talk filled that paddock area on the possible return of the 2007 Formula 1 Driver Champion to the series. Sitting out of Formula 1 for two seasons, Kimi Raikkonen was the subject of the most interesting rumours in the premier auto racing series. Just two days after the Brazilian Grand Prix closed out the 2011 Formula 1 season, the speculation of the Finland native Raikkonen concludes with the announcement that the 18-time grand prix winner will pilot a Lotus Renault GP race car in 2012.

A two-year deal to drive for the team that will be officially known as Lotus Renault GP on the 2012 Formula 1 starting grid, Kimi Raikkonen commented “I’m delighted to be coming back to Formula 1 after a two-year break, and I’m grateful to Lotus Renault GP for offering me this opportunity." Before this announcement, the strongest speculation had Raikkonen teaming with Williams F1. Through the 2010 off-season, Mercedes GP and the now-defunct Toyota Formula 1 team were also been linked to Kimi Raikkonen.

Debuting in Formula 1 in 2001, Kimi Raikkonen's entrance into the series was one of some controversy when the young Finnish driver was granted a Super License despite limited car racing experience. Driving for Sauber, Kimi Raikkonen scored a point in his first event and would go on to run successfully for McLaren and later Ferrari. It was Raikkonen's first year with Ferrari in 2007 that he won the World Driver's Championship by merely one point over the young rookie Lewis Hamilton. Raikkonen won 6 races in 2007 but would win just 3 grand prix in the following two seasons. As the Ferrari Formula 1 team had lost its competitive edge and with the arrival of Fernando Alonso to the team for 2010, Kimi Raikkonen left the Formula 1 world championship altogether.

Raikkonen racing activities for the past two years focused around running the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Winning a non-WRC event (the Rallye Vosgien 2010), a fifth-place finish at the Rally of Turkey was Raikkonen's best result. Raikkonen displays no regret for following his race passions away from grand prix racing saying "My time in the World Rally Championship has been a useful stage in my career as a driver, but I can’t deny the fact that my hunger for F1 has recently become overwhelming."

This past year also saw Raikkonen making a driving appearance in NASCAR during the May Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Driving a Kyle Busch Motorsport Toyota Tundra, Raikkonen showed some impressive rough talent for oval track racing finishing 15th in the truck race. While more races were planned, funding was believed that have limited Raikkonen to this single NASCAR experience at Charlotte.

Kimi Raikkonen's positioning inside the Lotus Renault GP team is set to demonstrate a stronger and more assured 2012 driver line-up. Entering this past Formula 1 season, the Lotus Renault GP team was thought to have had a stable line-up with sophomore pilot Vitaly Petrov driving alongside the seasoned grand prix winning wheel handling of Robert Kubica. Due a severe rally car crash early in February of 2011, Kubica was sidelined for the entire Formula 1 season leaving the newly-aligned force of Lotus and Renault to search for another veteran. Calling in Nick Heidfeld, the replacement driver for Robert Kubica finished in the points 6 times in 9 races including a 3rd place at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Despite some good runs, Heidfeld and the Lotus Renault GP time didn't finish the 2011 season together.

Hired as a test driver before Robert Kubica's injury, Brazil's Bruno Senna would take over the second Lotus Renault GP ride teaming with Petrov. Senna finished 9th in the Italian Grand Prix serving as the only points he would record in 2011. This recent acquisition of a past Formula 1 world champion to the Lotus Renault GP team will come as a change to their less experienced driver line-up the team ended the 2011 season with at the Brazilian Grand Prix Sunday.

Speaking for the Lotus Renault GP team, Chairman of equality owner Genii Capital Gerard Lopez spoke about 2007 Formula 1 champ Kimi Raikkonen's appearance with the team in 2012 as an important building block. “All year long, we kept saying that our team was at the start of a brand new cycle. Backstage we’ve been working hard to build the foundations of a successful structure and to ensure that we would soon be able to fight at the highest level." said Lopez.

Signing Kimi Raikkonen, it is speculated that Vitaly Petrov will retain his ride alongside the Finnish driver but nothing has been confirmed by Lotus Renault GP. As the 2012 Formula 1 season nears, the build-up for what the Finnish driver can do after a two-year absence should keep many fans eager leading up to the Australian Grand Prix.

Webber Betters Vettel for Spanish GP Pole

Photo Credit: Nissan North America

For 2011, qualifying in the Formula 1 series had been dominated by the talents of the the reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel. Vettel's Red Bull-Renault race car has been effective in resisting the best efforts of McLaren-Mercedes and even team rival Mark Webber through the first 4 races of the season. Landing in Spanish capital city of Barcelona to compete at the 4.655 kilometer (2.892 mile) Catalunya circuit, the fifth qualifying session of the season's tour presented a new opportunity to unseat the German Red Bull Racing driver; a chance one driver used to his advantage.

Snapping Sebastian Vettel's undefeated record in 2011 Formula 1 qualifying, Red Bull Racing teammate Mark Webber emerged from Q3 as the pole sitter for the Spanish Grand Prix. Recording a top qualifying time of 1 minute, 20.981 seconds Webber is devoted to matching the pace of Vettel. Despite a sluggish start to the 2011 Formula 1 campaign, Mark Webber has recorded to podium finishes to the previous two events. “It was a good session. It was clear going into qualifying that we might have had a bit of a margin and would be battling for pole between ourselves today." Webber said realizing the ability that two Red Bull-Renault race cars should be able to compete for grand prix wins just like last season.

Defeated but not disappointed, German Sebastian Vettel put his 2/10th of a second slower.  "I made it on the primes. In Q2 I felt much happier on the soft compound tyres, but unfortunately in the last qualifying I lost a little bit too much and I wasn’t entirely happy with my lap." Vettel said. With lingering beliefs of an inner-team feud, Sebastian Vettel appears to accept his teammate as a worthy challenger. "Mark did a good lap and a better job today. Let’s see tomorrow, it’s a long race and we saved a set of tyres."

In row two, Lewis Hamilton is continuing to show Formula 1 crowds the McLaren F1 team is prepared to lead a fight to Red Bull Racing's grand prix mastery. In 4th place on the Spanish Grand Prix starting grid is Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. Experiencing a slow start to the 2011 season, Ferrari and Alonso have turned their luck around with a podium in the Turkish Grand Prix early this month.

With Mark Webber's pole being big news, one story in the back of the Formula 1 grid for this Grand Prix of Spain is from Lotus/Renault GP. While Vitaly Petrov performed well enough for a 6th place start in qualifying, the other team car driven by Nick Heidfeld was affected by a fire in the paddock area during the race weekend. While no one was reported hurt, the fire did burn the rear portion of the R31 race car. As the suspected cause of the fire is thought to be an exhaust failure, the Lotus Renault GP team needed the whole qualifying session to replace the race car. Despite being unable to log a time, Formula 1 officials basically overlooked the recently-reinstated 107% rule in qualifying permitting the second Lotus/Renault GP car to start the 2011 Spanish Grand Prix. Heidfeld will be starting in the back with a newly-rebuilt race car.

Photo Credit: Andrew Ferraro/ LAT Photographic

The Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix is slated to roll off at 8 am Eastern time.



2011 Spanish Grand Prix
Starting Grid

Pos # | Car # | Driver |  Team


1. 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing
2. 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing
3. 3 Lewis Hamilton McLaren
4. 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari
5. 4 Jenson Button McLaren
6. 10 Vitaly Petrov Lotus Renault GP
7. 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP
8. 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari
9. 12 Pastor Maldonado Williams F1
10. 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
11. 18 Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso
12. 17 Sergio Pérez Sauber
13. 19 Jaime Alguersuari Scuderia Toro Rosso
14. 16 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber
15. 21 Heikki Kovalainen Team Lotus
16. 15 Paul di Resta Force India
17. 14 Adrian Sutil Force India
18. 20 Jarno Trulli Team Lotus
19. 11 Rubens Barrichello Williams F1
20. 24 Timo Glock Marussia Virgin Racing
21. 23 Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT F1
22. 22 Narain Karthikeyan HRT F1
23. 25 Jérôme D’Ambrosio Marussia Virgin Racing
24. 9 Nick Heidfeld Lotus Renault GP

Robert Kubica's F1 Racing Career in Limbo After Rally Car Crash

Photo Credit: Andrew Ferraro/LAT Photographic

Competing in the Ronda de Andora Rally in Italy, Formula 1 regular driver for Lotus Renault GP Robert Kubica suffered a frightening worst case scenario accident. Early Sunday, his DP Autosport Skoda collided at high-speed with a wall just 5 kilometers after starting the race's first stage. Due to the severity of the wreck, the need to exercise care extracting the driver safely and a 55-kilometer transportation distance, Kubica's arrival at the Santa Corona Hospital in Pietra Ligure took a total of 2 hours.

 According to some media reports, doctors were at one time considering amputation of the right hand. However, after quick examination, physicians did not need to resort to this action on Kubica's hand. With multiple fractures to the Formula 1 winning driver's right hand and leg that includes a deep cut to his forearm, a 7-hour operation was required. By late Sunday, the recovering 27-year old Robert Kubica has been placed into an induced coma until Monday morning as he rests in stable but serious condition overnight.

An update on Kubica's condition is expected to be held 9:30 AM local time at the Santa Corona Hospital. Robert Kubica's manager Daniel Morelli and the Director for the Regional Centre of Hand Surgery Professor Mario Igor Rossello will be present to announce the latest on the Formula 1 driver's prognosis.

With Robert Kubica fortunately surviving the rally car crash, the driver's participation in the 2011 Formula 1 season for Lotus Renault GP is highly doubtful. Awaiting more information on Kubica's recovery, the Lotus Renault GP team thoughts are with their injured race car pilot. Team Principal and Managing Director Eric Boullier said within a statement Sunday “The news of Robert’s accident came as a real shock to the whole team. All of us, at Lotus Renault GP, wish him a quick recovery. We have been really impressed with the way the doctors looked after him today and we would like to thank the whole team of the Santa Corona Hospital for their professional approach and dedication". Several members of the Lotus Renault GP organization including Boullier and Formula 1 teammate Vitaly Petrov.

With a long recovery predicted for Robert Kubica to potentially regain use of his right hand, Lotus Renault GP plans for the upcoming 2011 Formula 1 season will need to be revised. Proving to have top speed with Kubica just 3 days prior at Valencia, Spain test, the team will have to promote one of their reserve drivers to the Type 125 race car's seat for Bahrain in March. Having just signed Bruno Senna, strong indications has the young Brazilian driver rejoining the Formula 1 race grid for 2011.

Lotus Renault GP Debuts Type 125 Formula 1 Race Car

Photo Credit: Lotus Renault GP

Receiving notoriety as perhaps the official team relating to Lotus sports cars, the Lotus Renault GP organization is the result of a new cooperation by the former Renault F1 team and Group Lotus. Creating a messy situation as the start of the 2011 Formula 1 season draws close to the March 13th command to start engines in Bahrain. Two Lotus teams (Team Lotus being the other) will be placing four cars on the Formula 1 grid powered by Renault engines. Thankfully, the look of the two Lotus teams will be distinct in livery. Team Lotus will wear green and yellow colouring while the Lotus Renault GP cars will be identified in a regal black and gold recreating the appearance of the original Team Lotus' John Players Special of the late 1970 to mid 1980s.

Wearing the new Lotus Renault GP look, the Type 125 has been revealed for the upcoming Grand Prix season. Said to be blending the expertise of Renault, Lotus and team partner Genii Capital, the Renault Lotus GP Type 125 race car will definitely be the crown jewel of the British brand's diverse return to motorsports. Including among items the movable rear wing now allowed by the FIA, the Renault Lotus GP is also wearing the new Pirelli Formula 1 slick tires.

Returning drivers from the Renault F1 team's 2010 campaign, Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov will pilot the Type 125 on the 2011 Grand Prix schedule. Both drivers will be the cornerstone to a team's stride to improve beyond the past team's 5th place finish in the F1 Constructor Championship. Renault Lotus GP also announced a new third driver joining the team for 2011. Bruno Senna (who spent most of last season competing with the HRT Formula 1 team) follows his legendary late uncle Ayrton Senna as a Lotus Formula 1 car driver. It appears that Bruno Senna is following a similar path to his uncle who too started his Formula 1 career outside of Lotus. Ayrton Senna debuted with short-lived Formula 1 team Toleman but moved to Lotus in 1985 where his legacy was launched.

With Formula 1 reshaping the 2011 Formula 1 rules to allow KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), Lotus is relishing the opportunity to allow their Type 125 Formula 1 race car to their future production sports cars. Four of the next five Lotus sports cars planned for the street over the next 4 years (Esprit, Elite, Elan and Eterne) will have a KERS option.  

Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar has been quite aware that the rather public dispute between the two Lotus teams is controversial but has been a formal declaration saying "I’m delighted to be able to formally clarify our position: We are Lotus, and we are back.”





Photo Credit: Lotus Renault GP





Photo Credit: Lotus Renault GP



Photo Credit: Lotus Renault GP



Proton/Lotus Announces 2011 Formula 1 Partnership with Renault F1

Photo Credit: Renault F1

In just one year back in Formula 1 resulting in the Lotus Racing team's 2010 on-track campaign without scoring points as a new outfit, it could be said that Lotus has at least mastered the art of gaining publicity. Having officially announced in the last weeks of the 2010 Formula 1 season their agreement to replace Cosworth engines with Renault power for 2011, paddock buzz surrounded the possibly that the Lotus Racing and Group Lotus' parent company Malaysia's Proton Group was considering a venture with another Formula 1 team for the next season. These rumours have turned to reality December 8th as Group Lotus and Genii Capital publicized their new partnership called Lotus Renault GP.

With Genii Capital existing as a stakeholder within the current Renault F1 effort, Group Lotus is certified as a holding equity share in the new Lotus Renault GP team. Unveiling the 2011 team's new livery, a black and gold car accented with touches of red bares a close resemblance to the John Players Special paint scheme used during the original Team Lotus' last great heyday. Unlike the Lotus Racing team where Proton has merely provided licensing of the British auto company's name, the car company has a ownership stake with Lotus Racing GP for the 2011 Formula 1 season guaranteed to feature Robert Kubica as the #1 driver. Russia's Vitaly Petrov has a 50/50 chance with returning to the ride for 2011. 
Questions exist where how the new agreement will affect the current Lotus Racing (or Team Lotus). Using the famous British sports car builder's name under license, Lotus Racing has presently stayed largely mum on the formulation of the Lotus Renault GP team. However, on Lotus Racing's team principal Tony Fernandes twitter page one message posted following the Wednesday announcement read "Dany bahr has done us a favour. Never felt better about our future and Team Lotus. Looks like the trying to hijak our black and gold idea.". It should be noted that the past few months have consisted of rumours that Proton Group and the Lotus Racing team have not been on the greatest of terms. 
While it seems that there will be a Team Lotus and a Lotus Renault GP team competing on the 2011 Formula 1 grand prix circuit, the biggest question being immediately presented is what will be the team livery of the 2010 Lotus Racing team. Having planned to change to the black and gold racing colours, the Lotus Renault GP team has apparently taken possession of the paint scheme. Whether the Team Lotus organization will stick with green and yellow or which to another team colour is unsure.

Renault Engines Officially with Lotus F1 Team in 2011

Photo Credit: Lotus Racing

Having been the worst kept secret of the Formula 1 paddock (if it was ever a real secret), Lotus Racing has confirmed on Friday the 2011 edition of their grand prix cars who run with Renault power. Furnished by Renault Sport, the French company will replace the Cosworth powerplants Lotus used to reenter the Formula 1 tour.

As the announcement broke, Lotus Racing's team principal Tony Fernandes is quite aware for engine deal's announcement came as no shock to any Formula 1 observer. “I am absolutely delighted that we can now officially talk about the partnership with Renault. There has obviously been a great deal of speculation about which engine will be powering our cars from 2011 and now the announcement has been made I think everyone can see just how ambitious we really are." Fernandes said in the team's news release. The Renault engine deal was first thrown through the rumour mill during late summer but the speculation was heated up later when Lotus Racing announced they would receive gearboxes and other components from Red Bull Racing (a team powered by Renault engines).

Mike Gascoyne, who worked with the Renault F1 as a technical director for three seasons starting in 2001, was enthusiastic about this new involvement with his old employer. "Having worked with Renault before I know exactly what they will bring to our team and I am delighted that they will be playing an integral role in the next chapter of our story. The engine itself gives our designers, engineers and drivers an excellent platform to work with - it is very drivable, has good reliability and comes with a track support team who have a wealth of experience and knowledge. We are all looking forward to working with Renault and are very excited about the future for our partnership and our team.”

When the Lotus team joins the Formula 1 grid in 2011 with Renault power, the ignition will spark a reuniting of French and English companies. Among the many engine manufacturers the original Team Lotus utilized was Renault power between 1983 to 1986. As fate would have it, Lotus' founder Colin Chapman had negotiated the French engines in 1982 just prior to his untimely passing in December of that year. Partnered together in hopes to carry on the accolades under the English Formula 1 team's creator, the pairing united during times when future Formula 1 legends Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell drove Team Lotus colours (which were than John Players Tobacco black and gold). On the tail-end of their 4 seasons of Formula 1 action, Lotus-Renault's grabbed 5 grand prix victories (4 by Senna and 1 by Elio de Angelis). It seems fitting that the official announcement of Renault rejoining Lotus comes while the 2010 Formula 1 schedule blitzes into Ayrton Senna's home country of Brazil.

A second-year team with a full season of knowledge and in-race experience, the Lotus Racing (or Team Lotus) organization will be an exciting outfit to watch throughout the 2011 season.