Lotus Motorsport Sign Petronas

Multi-year premium partnership agreement signed as PETRONAS become Lotus' Official Lubricants Partner for GT Motorsport.

Lotus Motorsport and PETRONAS Lubricants International fledgling relationship will work on many levels including a comprehensive technical and business collaboration agreement with Lotus Motorsport.

PETRONAS will become the Official Lubricants Partner for Lotus Motorsport cars competing in various high profile international GT categories. As a result, The Evora GT4s competing in the British GT Championship, Blancpain European GT and the GTE entry in the ILMC (International Le Mans Cup) will carry prominent PETRONAS and Syntium branding. Syntium is the PETRONAS flagship motor oil brand oriented towards high performance cars and motorcycles.

Group Lotus Chief Executive Officer Dany Bahar said: "For Lotus, motorsport isn't just a branding exercise – ultimately we're in it to win and PETRONAS share this philosophy. They have built a lot of technological knowledge during their time in motorsport and we can benefit in many ways from technology transfer especially when it comes to fuel and lubricants technology used today in race cars. We are all about technology and performance and in PETRONAS we have a partner who share our values and vision."

PETRONAS Lubricants Chief Executive Officer Aldino Bellazzini said: "For PETRONAS this is an excellent opportunity to be associated with a globally renowned iconic brand, with an undisputed racing heritage. For Lotus Cars, this is a great opportunity to take advantage of PETRONAS Lubricants' almost 100 years experience in the world of automotive and racing lubricants to further improve their products' performance on any race track or on the road."

Claudio Berro Director of Lotus Motorsport said: "Motorsport is a strong test for the products as a whole, not only for the engine, but for the transmission and the brakes. The GT category is the most relevant racing platform to enable PETRONAS to develop and test their products for both race and more importantly road application. It is critical to have the right lubricant to give the maximum in performance and efficiency and increase the longevity of some critical mechanical components which endure enormous stresses. PETRONAS will be an integral partner in our quest for success in our ambitions and extensive GT racing programme."

The next outing of the Evora GT4 in the British GT Championship is at Donnington from October 23-25th with the final round of the Championship scheduled to take place at Silverstone on October 7-9th where Lotus Sport UK will enter two cars. They will be joined by Lotus Sport Italy, who will have one car entered into the Blancpain Series European GT Series in a unified race. Both teams are currently in with a chance to win their respective Championships. The Evora GTE will appear at the final to rounds of the ILMC in the infamous Petite Le Mans, USA on October 1st followed by the season finale in Zhuhai, China on November 12th.