Despite a double DRS-zone, Valencia's reputation as F1's most boring track continues. Did you nod off?

Well, I wasn't allowed to snooze because I did the pre and post race show for RAI Uno! Honestly, I didn't think it was boring but there was close fighting between only Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber for second, and an exciting chase to the end between Sebastian Buemi, Paul di Resta, Vitaly Petrov and Kamui Kobayashi. But there was such a gulf in pace between the Red Bulls and Ferraris and the rest of the field, so you had lots of lapped cars and it was quite difficult to follow what was going on. The DRS gave us more passing than we would usually see here, and as I've said before I don't think we want this device to make passing too easy because we can have too much overtaking. It's just that after Canada, which was so exciting, this race was a bit more normal.

Lotus Renault GP seemed to struggle for race pace. Was tyre degradation to blame?

I haven't spoken to the team about it yet, but certainly the qualifying pace was better than the race pace. Nick [Heidfeld] was ninth and Vitaly 11th, which is a pretty good result and from there it should be possible to get both cars into the points. But in the race it was hard as both cars lost some positions in the first two corners. At least Nick was able to get a point, and the team remains fourth in the championship ahead of Mercedes.

Both drivers stopped three times. Other cars around them did two stops, and Sergio Perez managed to do it with one. Was it the right tyre call?

Our team is watching what the top teams are doing, and Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari all three-stopped. Perez might have one-stopped but he finished a lap down and out of the points in 11th. I think Lotus Renault was correct to look to the top teams, it wasn't the wrong strategy and I don't think the pitwall is to blame that we didn't have two cars in the points. As I said, I think the task was made more difficult by losing places at the start and playing catch up.

Silverstone is a very different track, with long fast turns and plenty of passing space. Do you expect the R31 to come to the fore there?

This is a very competitive car and, if things are normal, we should always qualify and finish in the top ten. Sometimes it doesn't all come together and you miss out on what you think you deserve – that, as they say, is motor racing. But yes, Silverstone is a very rewarding track that I think should suit our car – although it will suit Red Bull too. I see no reason why we can't get closer to the top three teams there though.

Blasting up Goodwood's historic hill climb will be a heady mix of Lotus road and track cars, both old and new. Formula One drivers Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna will wow the crowds in their black and gold Lotus Renault GP cars, while 1992 world champion and Lotus ambassador Nigel Mansell drives his 1983 Type 94T, and Martin Donnelly is reunited with his 1990 Type 102 – the car that nearly ended his career.

The hill climb will also see the latest Evora S, its sibling, the Evora GT4 race car, and the F1-inspired T125, which has been developed by our works drivers and grand prix legend Jean Alesi to give customers the full F1 experience.

Classic Team Lotus have prepared a selection of priceless machines for the event, including Graham Hill's Monaco '68 winning Type 49 and the 1963 Type 25 that took Jim Clark to seven grands prix victories.

In pride of place on the Group Lotus stand, Ayrton Senna's JPS-liveried Type 97T is a must-see for every fan of the Brazilian icon. Chassis no.2 was a special car for Ayrton, because it was in this very machine that he took his first grand prix win – and, in his own opinion, his best.

Up on stage, there will be an open mic session each day at 10.30am and 2pm, MC'd by BBC Radio Five Live F1 commentator David Croft. On Friday, Vitaly Petrov, GT4 team manager Gary Ayles, and works driver Ollie Jackson field questions. Saturday and Sunday sees Petrov joined by Bruno Senna and Nigel Mansell. Each afternoon, Clive Chapman will join the panel, and on Sunday KV Racing Technology-Lotus driver EJ Viso will be there to talk IndyCar racing.

Group Lotus has a pavilion at Goodwood this year, where guests can raise a glass to the past, present and future of our road car range: The Elise Club Racer, Evora S and brand new Evora IPS are joined by a 2002 Esprit V8. And there's a very rare chance to see the white prototype 2013 Esprit which first stunned the world at the Paris Motor Show last autumn, and which has put the road markings down for the company's exciting new era.

Group Lotus' Motorsport Director, Claudio Berro, is thrilled to be bringing so many Lotus models to the Festival of Speed: "Goodwood is a truly special event and the essence of British motorsport. As such, it stands to reason that Lotus feels at home on Lord March's beautiful estate, and we are really looking forward to joining Lotus' drivers, past and present, and our supporters for a wonderful automotive celebration. The Festival of Speed is the perfect entrée to next weekend's British Grand Prix, so this is an important and exciting week for us and one we will certainly enjoy."

This year we have nine Lotus cars on our stand in the Festival of Speed pavillion. These include a Lotus Renault GP team Formula 1 car, a Lotus Type 97T (Ayrton Senna's first GP winning car), a Lotus Elise Club Racer, a Lotus Evora S, a Lotus Evora with Intelligent Precision Shift, a 2002 classic Lotus Esprit V8, and the new 2013 Lotus Esprit.

Most of the thoroughbreds were ran courtesy of Classic Team Lotus, including the freshly-restored 1990 V12 102, originally campaigned by Martin Donnelly.

Martin Donnelly competed in his first works drive for Lotus since his Team Lotus days, sharing the first Evora to enter Lotus Cup UK with factory driving guru Gavan Kershaw. Taking pole position and the win, they beat round two winner Mark Fullalove, who finished eleventh after a rushed pit stop handed him a two lap penalty.

A full grid contained World Series by Renault driver Oliver Webb, sharing a 340R with David Harvey, and both were in contention for third until they were handed a similar penalty to Fullalove, ending up nineteenth. This gave the Open class win to Pat McBennett, the Irishman enjoying a return to Lotus racing. 2-Eleven class drivers Steve Williams and Pete Storey joined the winners on the podium, whilst David Seear was the Exige Cup winner, after a rear suspension failure put paid to Jamie Stanley and Glenn Sherwood's race.

The Production class was claimed by Ken Savage, giving him consolation for losing out on the Elise Trophy wins.

The next round of LoTRDC racing takes place in a week's time as Lotus Cup Europe supports the FIA Formula Two Championship at the Nurburgring.

Donnelly put the Lotus Evora GT4 on pole at Snetterton for tomorrow's Lotus Cup UK race with a time of 2:06:184.

Donnelly is racing for Lotus for the first time in 21 years.

Sato, No. 5 KV Racing Technology – Lotus, qualified with a two-lap average speed of 180.375 mph on the .875-mile D-shaped oval. Tony Kanaan, No. 82 GEICO- KV Racing Technology – Lotus, went out second of the 25 cars making a qualifying attempt and posted a speed of 179.833 mph putting him on the pole until Sato, who went out 21st, made his run. Kanaan will start a season-high third. E. J. Viso, No. 59 PDVSA – KV Racing Technology – Lotus, had an average speed of 177.680 mph placing him 19th on the grid, the same as he qualified last year when he finished an IndyCar career-high third.

Sato captured his first pole in just his 26th IndyCar start, 13th on an oval and second at Iowa. This is the third "official" pole and fourth overall in team history. Jimmy Vasser captured the team's first pole at Milwaukee in 2005. Tristan Gommendy followed with a pole at Mont Tremblant in 2007 and Will Power took the pole at the Surfers Paradise "exhibition" race in 2008.

"I want to say a big thank you to the whole team, the fans, the sponsors and everyone who has supported me," Sato said. "It is a fantastic achievement. I knew we were going to be competitive because of last year and this morning I was truly comfortable in the car. I could feel where we needed to be with the setup for qualifying. Working so closely today with the three KVRT – Lotus drivers, working so closely with my engineers, we had a great answer. The mechanics also did a great job preparing the car. I am very pleased with today's result."

Sato made his Iowa debut last year qualifying seventh and running strong until an incident late in the race ended his day. He has now qualified in the top-10 five times in eight attempts this year with three top-five starting spots and the pole. Sato, whose previous best qualifying position was third at Mid-Ohio, last year, has shown remarkable improvement on ovals and steadily asserted himself during his second IndyCar season. He qualified a team-high 10th at the Indianapolis 500, but went out early finishing 33rd. At Texas, he qualified a team-high (and then oval career-high) fourth for the first race then finished an IndyCar career-high tying fifth. In the second race, he drew the 25th grid position, but drove a strong race and finished 12th. Sato qualified fifth at Milwaukee and despite a penalty that dropped him well back in the field he battled his way to a eighth place finish. Overall this season, Sato has earned four top-10 finishes (fifths at St. Petersburg and Texas, eighths at Milwaukee and Brazil). He is ninth in the championship standings with 142 points.

Kanaan, the defending Iowa champion, earned his best starting position and fourth top-10 starting spot in five attempts at Iowa. His victory last year is the only time he has finished in the top-10. This is Kanaan's fifth (not counting the fact he drew the pole in the second race in Texas) top-10 starting position this season.

Commenting on qualifying Kanaan said, "Not a bad run for the GEICO - KV Racing Technology - Lotus guys. This track is always a challenge and to qualify near the front is a big advantage. You know, you always hate to see your number fall from the pole position during qualifications, but if it has to happen the only way it is acceptable is for a teammate's number to be sitting on top of yours. I am proud for Takuma and for the KVRT - Lotus organization as a whole. Tomorrow is going to be a very interesting race under the lights at Iowa Speedway".

Kanaan has been the strongest of the three KVRT – Lotus drivers this year, especially on ovals. He qualified 22nd at Indy, but drove a great race to finish fourth, started sixth for the first race in Texas and finished 11th then, through the luck of the draw, got the pole and finished fifth in the second race. At Milwaukee, he qualified a team-high (and season-high) fourth and led 33 laps before a late race incident ended his day in 19th place. Kanaan has led a total of 72 laps this season, all on ovals. In the eight races this year (counting Texas as two races), Kanaan has finished in the top-10 five times with three top-five placements and a podium performance (third at St. Petersburg). He sits sixth in the championship race with 171 points, 17 points out of third.

Viso, who will be making his fourth appearance in Iowa, has struggled in qualifying this year, but it seems to have little effect on his performance in the races. At Texas, Viso started 19th in the first race then charged through the field to finish seventh. He started 29th in the second event, but again fought his way into the top-10 finishing 10th. In all, Viso picked up 31 total positions in the two races and finished in the top-10 in consecutive races for the first time in his four-year IndyCar career. At Milwaukee, Viso started a season-high, and oval career-high sixth, but quickly moved into fourth where he remained until the latter stages of the contest when an incident ended his day. Viso currently sits 20th in the standings with 100 points, but a strong performance in here tomorrow could easily move him into the top-15.

"Since the first practice here in Iowa it has been difficult for the PDVSA – KVRT – Lotus crew. We just came from a race in Milwaukee where I was running good but we damaged the primary car, so we had to go to the back-up car. I am not saying that is the reason we are slow, but it does raise some doubts. Anyway there is nothing we can do but stay strong and work hard. The one thing we know is that our best results this year have come when we started from the back. Also, last year I started 19th here, the same as this year, and finished third, so I am excited and confident we can have a very good race tomorrow."

Sato led the team in the first practice with a speed of 181.031 mph (17.7782 seconds) putting him second on the practice report. Kanaan, who spent much of the practice in third, was 10th at the end with a lap of 179.924 mph (17.8876 seconds). Viso, who got as high as 13th, ended up 21st with a speed of 178.843 mph (17.9952 seconds). Following qualifying there was another practice session giving drivers and engineers the opportunity to work with the cars at night in similar conditions to tomorrow's race.

Group Lotus is pleased to announce the appointment of motorsport industry expert Tony Schulp. Tony will join Group Lotus on August 1^st and will be responsible for leading the growth of the promotion and commercialisation of all Lotus' current and future motorsports activities.

Tony Schulp is no stranger to the motorsport world having held many senior roles with both Haymarket and more recently Prodrive Limited. With a unique motorsport pedigree spanning many years, his field of expertise focuses on globalising brands and developing relationships, two of the many skills that lead to his new appointment as Group Commercial Director.

Dany Bahar Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus said: "We're very much looking forward to welcoming Tony on board. I've been aware of his work for many years and I think he's going to complement our existing motorsport team perfectly. Lotus was born on the race track and motorsport plays an essential role in our business plan, Tony will play a crucial part in maximising on our investment and uniting us with suitable partners going forward."

Mansell led a convoy of seven stunning racing cars from the Lotus stable, including the innovative 1980 Type 88 twin-chassis car – which the rule makers never allowed to race; the Lotus Type 125 Exos Experience car driven by fellow F1 legend Jean Alesi; and a brace of Lotus Renault GP cars piloted by current F1 stars Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna.

This was the first time that modern-era F1 cars had blasted around the historic Hethel tarmac since the early 1990s. The layout of the 2.2 mile circuit had changed very little, with one extra corner added, but the new asphalt and larger run off areas are better suited to modern racing and performance car testing. Its mixture of corners, straight and braking zones makes it ideal for testing and optimizing every performance aspect of the new era of Lotus products, and evaluating car control at the Lotus Driving Academy. In addition to a spacious new workshop, the test track will soon be accompanied by a new pit building and hospitality suite.

Dany Bahar, Group Lotus CEO said: "A year ago we set out our plans to introduce a new model line up, ambitious motorsport plans and a revitalization of the iconic Lotus brand. A year in, we are meeting all the targets and milestones we set ourselves. One of the milestones was the opening of our test track. You might say this is just a refurbishment of a track and not a major achievement in itself, and I agree. However, mentally and psychologically seeing this project accomplished demonstrates that step-by-step our vision is becoming a reality. It shows our entire workforce and our partners that we are delivering on our promises."

Nigel Mansell, Group Lotus ambassador and 1992 Formula One World Champion said: "What a joy it was to be reunited with my old 81B after 30 years. This is a very special place, Hethel, and it was wonderful to open the circuit today by driving alongside my sons Leo and Greg."

Clive Chapman, Managing Director of Classic Team Lotus said: "I remember my father testing the Lotus 49 on this circuit. He didn't wear a helmet and you could see him grinning from ear to ear because he knew he had another winner. The circuit's longest straight doubled as a runway, and we would land here in my father's plane after adventurous and race tracks around the world. The revised circuit has managed to keep a lot of the character of the original, and seeing those seven cars lapping today is something I shall never forget. Lotus is enjoying exciting times once again, and it fills me with pride when I see brand new Lotus's around the world still bearing my father's initials."

Jean Alesi, Group Lotus ambassador and F1 legend said: "It's extremely fast. The first time I went out I was surprised about the length of the straights, but then of course it's not only for motor sport but for testing road cars. The layout is perfect for that. It's a proper test track. Today I drove Lotus' customer F1-experience car, the T125. The development of this car is ongoing, and very very promising. James Rossiter is doing a great job helping to develop the car, and will make this new track his home. I shall be validating these tests."

Bruno Senna, Lotus Renault GP third driver said: "Vitaly [Petrov] and I got to chase each other around in our F1 cars today, which was awesome. It's a really fun, technical track designed to test the car's handling and braking. I guess this is the first time in many years that a contemporary F1 car has been driven around here. The relationship I have with Group Lotus is very special, to be given the opportunity by these guys who trust my abilities and what I can bring to the team. And we have family history, of course. Ayrton [senna] made his name with Colin Chapman, and so there is a lot to be grateful to Lotus for. For me, to drive this circuit where my uncle used to test his cars, is a special feeling."

James Rossiter, Lotus Motorsport factory driver said: "The circuit has been completely resurfaced and extended. Now there's a lot more track and you can push harder thanks to that. The thing that makes it so perfect for Lotus is that it has every aspect of corner you can imagine; high speed, medium speed; slow speed; changes of direction at a steady-state, decelerating, and accelerating; you've got a massive braking area at the end of a long straight, with a tight chicane; there are two 190 degree corners, which are long, open and steady-state. So it has a little bit of everything, which is ideal for developing every aspect of a performance car."

Karl Heinz Kalbfell, Group Lotus Operations spokesperson and former CEO of Rolls Royce Motor Cars and Maserati said: "Every time I come back here to see the changes, both in infrastructure and the product, and to see people here driven by Lotus's inspirational goals, it gives me a lot of confidence that we are all on the right track. This is exactly what Colin Chapman would have wanted. He was a man always looking forward, not backwards."

Tony Kanaan battled for the win until late in the race, but fell victim to an incident and finished 19th while E. J. Viso was fighting for a top-four finish when he too was victimized and finished 20th.

Sato, #5 KV Racing Technology – Lotus, started fifth but quickly moved into fourth where he remained until the latter stages of the first stint which saw him drop to ninth. During his first pit stop he became entangled with some of hiscrew and as a result lost time and incurred a "drive through" penalty. Re-joining the race in 15th and one lap off the pace, Sato, with the help of a solid pit strategy and great pit work by his KVRT – Lotus crew, un-lapped himself and fought his way back through the field to earn his fourth top-10 finish of the season.

"It was a tough, long race," Sato said. "I was able to run a comfortable pace at the start of the race. In the middle of the stint I started to struggle with the balance and it was difficult to maintain the pace. Then during the pit stop it was very crowded and I got tangled up getting into the pit box. So I got a drive through penalty, which put me at the back of the field anddown a lap, but over the next two caution yellows we managed to get our lapback and I fought my way back into the top-10. I want to give a big thank you to my crew. They did a great job. It was a difficult day for the team, but I had a good experience in my first Milwaukee race."

Sato, who wore a black armband in today's race in memory of his father, Kazutoshi Sato, who passed away on Wednesday, June 15, made his first start in Milwaukee today. The 34-year-old from Japan has earned this season IZOD IndyCarcareer high fifth place finishes at St. Petersburg and Texas plus eighth place finishes here in Milwaukee and Brazil. Sato scored 24 points today and moved up to ninth in the championship standings with 142 points.

Kanaan, #82 GEICO – KV Racing Technology – Lotus, started a season high fourth, but quickly moved into third where he ran with the leaders throughout the first stint. He took over second place shortly after the first pit stop and then stormed into the lead on lap 116. He spent the remainder of the second stint fighting with Dario Franchitti leading for 18 laps dropping back and then leading for another 13 laps (33 total). Kanaan fell to third after the second pit stop, but was back in second shortly thereafter. For the remainder of his race, he put pressure on race leader Helio Castroneves, who was reporting to have a problem with his left rear tire. On lap 194 of the 225 lap contest, Kanaan attempted to make his move, but it didn't work out.

"Well, it started out as a good day for the GEICO - KVRT - Lotus team," Kanaan said. "The car was good on the long runs. We raced each other pretty hard and when I saw the opportunity to pass Helio in lapped traffic I went. Unfortunately it didn't work and I lost the rear. It's a shame because I hate to make mistakes especially when it was an easy first or second place car. But hey, I was trying as hard as I could...that one just slipped away from us."

Kanaan, who has now led four different Milwaukee races, has finished in the top-10 seven times including five top-five performances with two wins, 2006 and 2007 in 12 starts on the Milwaukee Mile (five CART sanctioned events and seven IndyCar). He has finished in the top-10 in five of the eight races this year (counting Texas as two races) with three top-five placements and a podium performance (third at St. Petersburg). Kanaanearned 12 points today and sits sixth in the championship race with 171 points, 17 points out of third. The 36-year-old Brazilian made his 139th consecutive IndyCar start today establishing a new IZOD IndyCar record (all-time record held by KVRT – Lotus co-owner Jimmy Vasser with 211).

Viso, #59 PDVSA – KV Racing Technology – Lotus, started an oval career high and season high sixth and was never lower than that the entire race. Driving his best race of the year the young Venezuelan was solidly in fourth place, where he spent much of his race, and very much in line for his best finish of the season. However, on lap 163 he attempted to pass another car and slid into the wall ending his day.

"We had an amazing race and a great setup that was a combination of all my teammate's preferences," Viso said. "I really think I had a good car, maybe not as fast as the leaders but we had a car to finish in the top five at the most. I was passing the lap car and I got high and went into the marbles and it sent me into the wall. That is what happens and it is unfortunate. I feel bad for the mechanics and my crew because they put this car together for me. I am looking forward to Iowa now and there is nothing else we can do."

Viso made his third start in Milwaukee today having previously competed here in 2008 and 2009. His best finish is eighth in his Milwaukee debut in 2008. Viso, who was coming off consecutive top-10 finishes, seventh in the first race in Texas and 10th in the second, for which he won the Firestone Tire-ific Award in each race, earned 12 points today and remains 20th in the standings with 100 points.

Next up for KVRT – Lotus is the Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Pioneer, June 24-25, at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.

Lotus China Symphony (Lotus China) is based in Beijing and will offer a full customer sales, service and ownership experience for customers in China and will embark on comprehensive marketing activities focused on increasing the presence and perception of Lotus in China.

The full range of high performance Lotus cars will be available in China, the award-winning Lotus Evora, the iconic Lotus Elise and the stunning Exige. Lotus China has initially ordered 100 cars, with the Evora accounting for the majority of these first customer cars, with the remainder being Elise and Exige. This ensures that the exclusivity of the iconic Lotus brand is maintained in such an important market. 

Dany Bahar, Chief Executive of Group Lotus said, “Lotus China has joined the Lotus family at a very exciting time - with a new range of sports and super cars on the way, which will complement the current globally selling range, and a new all encompassing motorsports programme, both of which ensure that Lotus is at the forefront of everyone mind as one of the world’s most desirable car brands. The team behind Lotus China has a wealth of experience in premier niche vehicles in the Chinese market and therefore we are delighted that we have teamed up with such a credible and enthusiastic team."

Zhang Li Chen, Chief Executive of Lotus China said, “We are delighted to be the official distributor of this world class sports and supercar brand and we are very much looking forward to introducing the brand to the discerning customer in China. We are investing in new dealerships throughout China to not only introduce the Evora, Elise and Exige but also in preparation for the arrival of the new Lotus super cars starting with the Esprit in 2013. I would like to thank Lotus for this opportunity and I know that we will do the brand proud in this important market!" 

Lotus China is based in Beijing and will open its first dealership in the capital in October, followed by dealerships in Shanghai, Chongqing and Guangzhou later in the year. Eight further dealerships are planned for 2012.

The Lotus badge for cars sold in China includes the addition “NYO” lettering (pronounced like the word “new”) to symbolise the importance of the British company’s official entry into China.

Both Lotus-Renault GP cars were in strong positions until, on Lap 56, Nick Heidfeld crashed. He was fighting for fifth with Kamui Kobayashi and tapped the rear of the Sauber. This tore off Nick’s front wing and, unluckily, it folded underneath the car and launched the R31 in the air. It was quite a scary moment for Nick but the car took off down an escape road and came to a rest without hitting a tyre wall. The DNF is miserable for the German given his impressive pace all weekend.

Vitaly Petrov kept his head while everyone was losing theirs, and drove an incredibly controlled race. His fifth place elevates him to seventh in the drivers’ standings, one spot ahead of his team-mate.

With the controversy surrounding the Bahrain Grand Prix continuing to boil, and moves among the teams and drivers to call a boycott, it's easy to forget that this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix is set to push the 2011 race calendar to the backs of our minds – at least for a moment. Why? Well Montreal means drama in any language (which is good because not even the French can understand the Québécois), and with DRS and Pirelli tyres spicing things up the results on Sunday are going to be utterly unpredictable. Do not tear your eyes away from the screen for one second.

The surface of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is like sandpaper. Temperatures are usually high too, and this means we'll be seeing a lot of tyre changes and drivers lapping at perilously different speeds as some hit the sweet spot and others fall off the edge of a rubber cliff.

The FIA are introducing a double DRS zone for the first time, with chasing cars able to reduce drag on the long back straight and start/finish straight, which are connected by a tight chicane that has a habit of propelling world champions towards a concrete wall and an early bath.

Canada is one of those tracks that doesn't need help with passing opportunities, so there are concerns that two DRS zones are going to be overkill.

This track rewards underdogs. Here in Montreal both Robert Kubica and Jean Alesi recorded their sole victories, and Lotus-Renault GP's Nick Heidfeld has twice matched his best F1 career result of second place.

"It's great to be back," said Nick on arriving at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Thursday morning. "I came out a few days early to see the atmosphere and walk the city because it's just such a nice place. This race will be rather different to most as it's low downforce and our speeds will be high. We have a new rear wing designed to give us even more top speed. The corners are similarly slow to Monaco. We tend to have good straight-line speed so we will just see over the weekend how we look."

Vitaly Petrov will get back into the car on Friday for the first time since his Monaco crash, which left him with a bruised ankle. "You want to get back into the car as soon as you can after an accident like that," he says. "Montreal is not unlike Monaco, in that it's a street circuit, the walls are very close. Here there is a little more margin for error, but our preparation will be similar to Monaco and we have a lot of valuable data from that race. Nevertheless, the speeds here are much higher so the set-up will be different. The atmosphere here is special, and I remember from last year there were a lot of Russian fans."

INDYCAR AT THE TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Although a two race format has been used in Indy racing 18 times – the last time being Atlanta 1981 – Saturday marks the first time IndyCar has run two races in one day. It's going to be a long night for the KV Racing Technolgy-Lotus boys, or so they hope anyway.

Tony Kanaan might have appeared at the Texas Motor Speedway 11 times, but this is all new for him as it is for everyone else. "Texas Motor Speedway is a great place and I always enjoy racing there," says Kanaan, who is currently fourth in the title chase. "It's exciting for drivers and fans alike because you don't ever know who is going to win there until the last lap. For me, TMS is especially close to my heart since I won my Championship there in 2004."

Takuma Sato has had a terrific start to the season, although poor luck means he doesn't have the results to show for it. So far his best result has been his fifth place at the season opener at St Petersburg. "Last year [at TMS], unfortunately I had a mechanical failure so my race was very short, but the car was looking good until then so I believe we will have strong cars there this time too."

EJ Viso has had more than his share of bad fortune too, and is hoping to turn it around in Texas. "I think it is one of the nicest oval events and it is fun for the fans. There is plenty going on and they will get to see a lot of sparks. This track has the most amount of banking on the corners which on restarts means you have the opportunity to pass a lot of cars. It will be interesting to see how the two races on Saturday night work out. I believe it will be a positive thing and will attract a lot of fans, so I am excited for the weekend."

24 HEURES DU MANS

Qualifying is happening right now, so we'd best not disturb the Lotus Jetalliance team as they set about pushing the new Lotus Evora GTE up the grid. But here's what was said when we caught up with works driver and eight-times Le Mans vet Johnny Mowlem a bit earlier…

Mowlem on…..the return of Lotus to Le Mans: I can honestly say that I have been involved with (in my career 20 years) five or six major manufacturers getting involved in sportscars and this one to me is the most important and the one that I'm proudest of. One because it's Lotus and I was always a Lotus fan ever since I was a kid, you know the whole John Player Special Formula 1, Colin Chapman and Ayrton Senna and the fact that I've been able to be a small part of the development of the GTE car and Lotus' return to Le Mans as a Brit makes me really proud and the fact that everywhere I go and everything I read, not just in motorsport press but in national and international press, everyone's talking about Lotus and there's a real buzz around the brand. Not just what we're doing in motorsport but what Group Lotus is doing in road car terms and where the company is headed for me to feel a part of that is fantastic.

Mowlem on….what Lotus means to him: Well they say that all boys have decided before they're 10, what their favourite marqque is and for me, the car I had on the wall, was a British Racing Green Lotus Esprit Turbo and that's always been the car I wanted and always been the iconic picture in my minds eye – it represents the ultimate racing sports car. When I was a kid I dreamed of the Le Mans 24 hours and racing there and I think if you asked most people who have no real interest in motorsport, they'll have heard of F1, they'll possibly have heard of the Indy 500 but they definitely will have heard of Le Mans because that race transcends just motorsport, it becomes something bigger than that and when you're there it becomes you can really appreciate that you are a small part of history every year whether you're a spectator, a mechanic, an engineer, a driver – it's just an incredible atmosphere – it's an iconic event. It's a hugely important part of what motorsports is – nearly every driver wants to do it, you only have to look at the numerous famous F1 drivers and world champions who want to compete and win at Le Mans and for Lotus the brand value that's attached to their return to Le Mans and the 100,000 Brits that will be heading down there to be able to see Lotus come back to Le Mans is just priceless.

Mowlem on…..preparing for the ultimate endurance race: I've been working quite hard because as a driver you need to really prepare yourself and time your preparation perfectly so that you peak at the race. Le Mans is one of the most mentally challenging tracks to race in terms of the speed. So the mental concentration required of a driver there is higher than any other circuit that I've raced at. Physically it's not quite as demanding as some other circuits but mentally it is just because of the high speed and the length of time that you're at those high speeds. I've been training really hard to bring myself to the peak of mental and physical fitness, I feel prepared. I've done a lot of cardio work, a lot of visualisation for example, when I'm rowing, I'll row ten kilometres on a rowing machine at a pace that keeps my heart rate in the 159's 160's so quite difficult and I'll close my eyes whilst I'm rowing and literally visualise laps of Le Mans whilst I'm rowing. I'll drive the track in my head and it's amazing – after a minute of doing this I can feel the actual excitement of racing there – I find myself rowing harder, faster just by visualising myself driving at Le Mans – it's really amazing, I feel stronger just by thinking about it.

Mowlem on….his co-drivers: James Rossiter, Jonathan Hirschi and I make a good team – we work very well together. Obviously James is a fellow Lotus factory driver and we work well together. I think James is out there to prove himself, he's at the beginning of his sports car career and my career has been going a while now and if there's one thing that I know that I can bring to the team apart from my technical expertise and experience of Le Mans, I can bring James and Jonathan back a peg because to win at Le Mans you can not be out there perpetually out there opening yourself up to taking risks, I'm not suggesting that you should just be plodding along either – you should drive as fast as you possible can but there's a real knack to driving at ten tenths whilst not taking a ten tenths risk and it sounds crazy but there's a real fine balance and if you go out there and you spend 24 hours putting the car in the way of risk be it you trying to carry too much speed through a corner or you not waiting in traffic or you just thinking it will be ok 'I'll make it' you will end up not finishing the race and that's something I've learnt the hard way and that experience is something I can bring to the team.

Mowlem on….the beast that is Le Mans: Everyone knows that we are at such an early stage of the cars development and we're not going to be out there on pole position, but I think if we run at pace, ultimately, our strength is in how we approach the race – forget the other competitions, we are competing against the track, Le Mans itself. I learnt that the second time I did Le Mans, the first time I did Le Mans, I ended up on the podium and I though 'this is easy', but the second time, I lead the race, we were running in the wet for most of the race, I did a four hour stint at night, I was aquaplaning, the windscreen wipers weren't working, it was one of the worst experiences I've ever had in a race car, I was scared that I wasn't going to be able to keep the car in one piece and at the end of it all, the sun was coming up, I got out of the car at about 8 in the morning and thought yep we've cracked it, we were fifth overall, leading the GT1 class and I thought yes we've sussed it and half an hour later I heard over the radio that the engine had blown and I thought then that Le Mans had thrown the very worst it could through at me, it can't get worse than torrential rain in the middle of the night, it can't get worse but it did.

That experience shows you that you're not racing anyone else, you're racing yourself and you're racing the track. If you don't respect Le Mans then she'll bite you. Big time.

Mowlem on….the Evora GTE: The Evora looks great, sounds great and let's hope it goes great.

Mowlem on….preparing: As I've got older superstition has gone out of the window, I'm far less now than I was – that comes with confidence. I'm a big supporter of the adage fail to prepare then prepare to fail.

Mowlem on….racing for a living: I have been fortunate enough to earn a living out of motorsport for the past twenty years. I got into motorsport because I loved it and some of that love went away in the middle of my career when I became so obsessed with success that I stopped enjoying it. Now it's really important to me to be successful, I still have a huge hunger to win but more importantly I really want to enjoy the journey towards that success. I want to enjoy my surroundings, soak up the atmosphere which is why for me, being with Lotus at Le Mans is just such a great experience. I just think about it and feel happy. That's enough for me.

Nigel, for those of us brought up on Formula One, oval racing is a bit of an anomaly. I know it's much harder than it looks, but can you explain to us the challenges involved with those cars at those speeds and at those angles.

Well the biggest challenge is concentration because at those speeds – averaging 200mph – if you have an accident, which is all too easy to do, it is going to be a really big one. You cannot relax for one second. After a few laps you're already into the backmarkers, so there's always someone in front of you. Then there is the drafting. It's a different animal altogether from Formula One.

This weekend we're at the Texas Motor Speedway. Is there a big difference between one oval and another, or are they roughly the same from the view of the cockpit?

No, they're very individual, with different degrees of banking and different surfaces that they've laid the tracks with. So the level of grip is totally different from one track to another – as is the set-up.

The grandstands in Texas promise to be filled to bursting. What is the atmosphere like at an IndyCar race and is it dramatically different to grand prix racing?

I think it is. I remember winning at New Hampshire, which is quite a small oval, in 1993. I'll never forget it because it was August 8 – the day of my 40^th birthday – and the whole crowd, a sell-out 90,000 of them, sang me Happy Birthday from the grandstands. I'd never witnessed that before at any race in Europe. It was a very different experience, and I was very touched.

Tony Kanaan won in Texas in 2004 en route to the title. Can he do it again this year with KVRT-Lotus?

Based on recent results I think you have to say it's unlikely, but he had decent pace in Indianapolis.

In Texas, they're holding two short races back-to-back, and the grid for the second race is being picked out of a hat. Would you have been up for two races in one day when you were racing, and how do you feel about a grid decided by luck and not merit?

Yeah, two races at half distance, with split points, that could work. It means more entertainment for the spectators, but it also means more work for the teams. As for deciding the second grid by pulling names out of a hat I have never heard of anything so crazy. There's some merit in reverse grid qualifying (like they do with the top eight in GP2 and GP3 in Race 2), but as for this raffle draw you're talking about, I have never heard this happen in professional motor racing before. Some people will get lucky, but most teams and drivers are going to end up being very unhappy.

Turning to Formula One, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve always seems to host dramatic races. How did you find it personally?

I like Montreal, it's one of the great cities of the world. There's a great atmosphere between the two rivers. The circuit itself presents some strange challenges. Because it isn't used much there is very little grip, and the car slides more there than on any other circuit. It's both a challenging and demanding track, and I think we're in for a tremendous race. I have good memories from Montreal. A few sad ones too, mind, but some great ones particularly from the turbo era, winning in 1986. Canadians are terrific supporters of motorsport, and I always looked forward to going there.

It's a mix of long straights and tight turns. Does the emphasis on mechanical grip over aerodynamic grip level the playing field a bit?

It can do on a track like this, yes, and factoring the Pirelli tyres into the mix will make it all the more unpredictable. The word 'compromise' comes to mind, as no one will have the perfect car. You've got the chicanes when the emphasis is on brakes and grip, and downforce does come into play, but you also need a car that is slippery and fast enough down the straights so as not to get overtaken. You compromise one for the other, and I think that's why Canada has thrown up some great races in recent years.

What do you make of DRS and KERS?

I like to see a level playing field, and KERS give some teams an advantage over others. It is a very expensive bit of kit. Some teams do it better than others. Other teams don't do it at all because they can't afford it. But, then again, you don't want to stop progress and KERS is a fascinating technology. The thing is, now overtaking comes down to a technical system, where one driver can keep his wing open and lower his drag and the other can't. I believe overtaking should come down to driver skill not driver aids. But the jury is still out on both, and I'm going to reserve judgment on this until later in the year when we've seen more races.

Nick Heidfeld has scored two seconds here. How do you rate he and Vitaly's chances this weekend?

If they can get the balance of the car right and do what I call the most perfect laps they can do, I think they can be up at the front. But they need to be patient and hit the sweet spot of the tyres to take advantage of that one lap. One lap and another can be half a second apart due to the sweet spot of the tyres and how they fall off. That half second makes an enormous difference when it comes to your placing on the starting grid.

You've won the F1 World Championship, you have won the Indy Car title. You would still love to wear the laurels at Le Mans, wouldn't you?

Yeah, and I would be there again this year but the sponsor support didn't come through. Last year was my first year doing it, and it was a special experience to do so with my sons Leo and Greg. In the end it was massively disappointing though, for we had a tyre failure at 200mph five laps in. We were on the wrong tyres – Dunlop did us no favours at all. We should have been on Michelins. If we had, I'm sure we'd have had no problems.

Sounds like it's still a sore subject. Is this the toughest race in the world?

I wouldn't say it's the toughest, but I would say it's the most demanding. I've done tougher grands prix, in terms of being exhausted at the end. Le Mans isn't exhausting, you've just got to concentrate. But it is very dangerous, and what you're worried about is what's going to break. It's mostly about the endurance of the car rather than the human body. Twenty-four hours flat-out without skipping a beat – from that point of view, Le Mans is awesome.

Lotus is excited to be returning to La Sarthe with the new Evora GTE. Have you been following the progress of the Lotus Jetalliance team in preparation for the event?

They have to find a lot more pace from what I understand, but they're working extremely hard and with time they'll get competitive. It's a super car, the Evora, with massive potential, but you don't make a Le Mans winner overnight. These things, as everything in racing, take time.

Following the result of the naming rights court case, is there an update regarding Group Lotus’ F1 involvement?

Dany Bahar: The judgement grants Group Lotus the rights to use the name 'Lotus' and the Lotus roundel on their own within F1, we are, therefore, even more committed than ever before to our long term plan within the sport.

The Judge also found that Team Lotus, run by 1Malaysia Racing Team, has the right to continue to race in F1 under the name Team Lotus and using the Team Lotus roundel. As a consequence, it is inevitable that the similarity of the names Lotus and Team Lotus will cause confusion not only amongst F1 supporters and the wider public, but also amongst F1 commentators who use the word ‘Lotus’ interchangeably for both teams as demonstrated throughout the season so far. With the full support of our parent company, Proton, we are seeking leave to appeal so that this point can be clarified for the benefit of all interested in F1.

With regards to our involvement with Lotus Renault GP, as Lotus, we stand united with Genii Capital and have every confidence in the future success of Lotus Renault GP.

This must have also been an interesting time for your parent company, Proton, does this have an impact on your relationship?

DB: They have followed the court case with great interest and like us, they are looking forward to the matter being brought to a close. More importantly than the on-going F1 naming issues, the past year has been an extremely important one in Group Lotus’ history and Proton has played, and continue to play, a crucial role in our development.

One of the most critical elements of this support has been assisting us in securing the funding for our future plans. I am happy to confirm that this is now all complete thanks to Proton’s help and, together with Proton, we can focus on completing the five year business plan to return Group Lotus to profit.

We have an incredibly strong relationship with Proton, they support us 100 per cent and frankly this is really important for a company like ours. Part of the business plan is the joint development of a global small car platform meaning that for the first time in the Proton Lotus history, the relationship will be mutually beneficial. This alone should demonstrate how close we are.

With F1 and a complete new car line up, there seems to be a lot going on at Group Lotus, what’s the status regarding Lotus Cars and your activity in motorsport generally?

DB: With road cars we’re in a good position, we’ve completed year one of a five year plan and we are making good progress on the development of the new Esprit which will be the first of the new models to go on sale.

Based on the feedback we have received since the unveiling in Paris from customers, the media and the industry, we have made some adjustments to our plans. For example, feedback regarding the Elan showed us that it was too close in style and positioning to the Esprit, and so as a consequence we have delayed the delivery of the Elan - delayed not cancelled. This allows us to focus more of our attention on the Evora which I believe has fantastic potential. We are now concentrating our efforts on making sure that the quality of the Evora matches its undeniable performance. Another major development that has come about as a consequence of the feedback we received is that we are now developing our own engine to use in our future cars, creating even more the “pure Lotus experience”.

With regard to motorsport, everyone always asks about F1 but for us, it’s not just about F1, given that motorsport in general is a key ingredient to our marketing strategy. We have always been and will always be an automotive brand that is associated with racing. Congratulations to Nick Heidfeld on his result in Monaco, when he came in eighth to earn valuable points that pushed him up a place in the Driver’s Championship to sixth; whilst Tony Kanaan did a great job coming fourth at the Indy 500. We want to win though, not just participate. But we don’t expect everything overnight, we start slowly and gradually build up our presence in a way that makes sense for our business. Look at our involvement within IndyCar, we started last year with one car, now we have three and from next year onwards we’ll be offering engines. People always question the cost but, believe me, if we couldn’t afford it we wouldn’t do it

Dany Bahar said: “The past year has been an extremely important one in Group Lotus’ history and Proton has played and continue to play a crucial role in our development. One of the most critical elements of this support has been assisting us in securing the funding for our future plans. I am happy to confirm that this is now all complete thanks to Proton’s help and together with Proton we can focus on completing the five year business plan to return Group Lotus to profit.”

“Despite recent media reports which seem to suggest that we are looking at alternative partners for the future, I’m happy to confirm that this is absolutely not the case. We have an incredible relationship with Proton, they back us 100 per cent and frankly speaking this is really important when you face challenging issues such as securing funding for our business plan. Group Lotus could not ask for a better share holder.”

“Part of the business plan is the joint development of a global small car platform meaning that for the first time in the Proton Lotus history, the relationship will be mutually beneficial. This alone should demonstrate how close we are.”

Yes it did, because it happened in one of the places you least want to crash in the whole world. And it wasn't Vitaly's fault, the accident was triggered by Adrian Sutil running wide and then Jaime Alguersuari hitting Lewis Hamilton when he braked to avoid Sutil. Poor Vitaly had nowhere to go and the energy going into the barriers was enormous. It's always a worry when a driver is unable to extract himself from a wrecked car, but thank goodness he is okay, the cell did its job, and he has only a bruised ankle. I have been extremely impressed with the Russian this season, he is performing very well. His first podium, in Australia, gave him huge confidence and he's maintained this level since.

Lotus-Renault GP were confident going into the race that they could perform well, as Robert Kubica did last year by achieving a podium for the team. Was it a surprise, therefore, to qualify 10th and 15th?

The team had higher expectations, but in Monaco everyone is focused on the first few rows and the reality is that, with a good strategy, some drama, and this year with DRS and the new tyres, it is possible to make up places. The key is to stay in the race, and that isn't easy because the circuit's walls are utterly unforgiving. Had Vitaly not had his accident I believe he would have finished sixth or seventh.

Nick Heidfeld drove from 15th to eighth, passing Rubens Barrichello, Nico Rosberg and Paul di Resta along the way. Was his one-stop strategy the way to go?

I think the strategy paid dividends and we can be happy with his four points. Having raced with Nick in the same team I remember he wasn't a big fan of Monaco, and perhaps this goes some way to explaining why he was unable to match Vitaly's pace in qualifying. I think he'll be quite happy with eighth under the circumstances.

The accident that Vitaly was involved in brought out the red flags and the rules stipulate the teams can work on the cars on the grid, including changing the tyres. That meant that one-stopping Sebastian Vettel had no problems maintaining his lead to the finish. Do you think this rule should be scrapped, and that cars should make the re-start on used rubber?

The risk that Red Bull Racing took in only pitting Sebastian once faded away when he was given new tyres for the re-start, you're right, and it made the remaining laps much easier for him. But that's motorsport, you need to be lucky sometimes. He won fair and square.

The DRS and Pirelli tyres gave us the impossible – overtaking in Monaco. Was this the best Monaco Grand Prix you've ever seen?

I remember the last four laps of the 1992 race being incredible, with Nigel Mansell desperate to find a way around Ayrton Senna. And 1990 was a great race for me, as I finished second. Ayrton won, Gerhard Berger was third, and only two seconds separated the three of us at the finish line. It was a bit like we saw on Sunday, with three cars at the front hunting each other down. It was definitely a classic.

Leaving from Covent Garden on Thursday in a performance enhanced Evora S, Tamar has just eight days to complete the trip across eight countries covering a 3000 mile stretch across Europe to Istanbul. But, thanks to Group Lotus, he has the perfect car to take on the action-packed endurance challenge.

Tamer struggled to hide his enthusiasm as he collected the car from Lotus at a private party with Group Lotus partner Hawker Beechcraft, at Claridge's last night: "The Evora is amazing! I am driving a dream car in the greatest rally in the world. It's been painted in the iconic 'Black and Gold' colours and it's a real head-turner! The crowds in London have gone mad trying to get photos of the car. I'm looking forward to hitting the road and seeing this happen all across Europe!"

Tamer star of 'The Football Factory', 'The Business', 'The Calcium Kid' and 'Layer Cake' to name but a few will share the driving with actor pal Costa Mandylor as they take the road first to Paris and then on to Barcelona, there is a two day stop in Monaco for the Grand Prix before heading off to Venice and Belgrade before reaching Istanbul.

The Evora S has been enhanced with GT4 Exhaust system and GT4 body including rear wing, front diffuser, rear splitter, air intake, front and rear bumpers, barge boards and grills. To complete the GT4 package chassis upgrades have also been made including GT4 18" wheels, performance road tyres, Ohlins 4 way adjustable dampers, Eibach Race springs (40% stiffer than road car) and a lowered ride height (30mm lower than standard on the road car).

Photos here:

http://www.midlandsl...ball-3000-2011/

Judgement Summary

• Group Lotus has the right to use the name "Lotus" on its own within Formula 1

• Group Lotus entitled to race in the historic black and gold livery

• 1Malaysia Racing Team (1MRT) ruled to be in breach of licence agreement, Group Lotus awarded damages

• Team Lotus Ventures Limited trademarks revoked for non-use

• Group Lotus trade marks unaffected

• Group Lotus has the right to use the Lotus marque on cars for road use

The Judge found that:

Group Lotus has goodwill associated with the name "Lotus" in Formula 1 and is free to compete in the sport under that name using the Lotus roundel;

Group Lotus is entitled to race in F1 using the historic black and gold livery;

1MRT is in breach of the Licence granted to them by Group Lotus to race in F1 under the name Lotus Racing and has awarded Group Lotus damages in respect of that breach;

Team Lotus Ventures Limited's trade mark registrations in the name of Team Lotus are cancelled as a result of non-use;

Group Lotus trade mark registrations are unaffected; and

Group Lotus has the right to use the Lotus marque on cars for road use.

The Judge also found that Team Lotus has the right to continue to race in Formula 1 under the name Team Lotus but the effect of the Judgment is that only Group Lotus can use the name "Lotus" on its own in F1. Group Lotus is concerned that this aspect of the Judgment will cause confusion in the eyes of spectators and the wider public. Accordingly, Group Lotus is seeking leave to appeal so that the right to use the Lotus brand in Formula 1 is clarified once and for all in the interests of the sport and the fans. Group Lotus and its shareholder Proton Holding Bhd are confident of success on appeal.

Speaking after the judgement, Sarah Price, Head of Legal, Group Lotus plc said: "Group Lotus is pleased that its right to race under the Lotus name in F1 has been upheld and that the Defendants' attempts to stop that have failed.

"The on-going dispute with Team Lotus and associated companies has been a cause for concern for all at Group Lotus. Despite the detailed judgment there are issues which still require clarification and we remain committed to obtaining this much needed clarity for the many fans of the Lotus marque - we are extremely grateful for their continued support. The decision to appeal has not been taken lightly."

MONACO GRAND PRIX

Lotus won its first grand prix at Monaco in 1960. Stirling Moss was at the wheel of a privately entered Lotus 18. Moss and his Lotus did it again the following year too, exactly 50 years ago.

At Monaco, drivers change gear approximately 55 times per lap, which equates to over 4,300 changes during the race. It's not just the tyres that suffer blisters.

Lotus legend Graham Hill was known as Mr Monaco because he won the race five times – 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968 and 1969. He reckoned the best prize was the free tab at Rosie's Bar on victory nights.

Accommodation at the Monaco GP is highly sought after. The most expensive digs can be found at the belle époque Hotel Hermitage, where the 175 square metre Diamond Suite is 42,600 Euros for a four night stay. Still, there's always the Novotel.

The Beatles attended the Monaco Grand Prix in 1969. A year later they released The Long and Winding Road. Inspiration?

The Principality of Monaco is just two square kilometers, making it the second smallest country in the world. The smallest: Vatican City... and the Pope cheers for Alonso.

The last time a Lotus won at Monaco was 1987. Ayrton Senna claimed the first of his record six wins here in his yellow Lotus 99T. He later said: "You will never know the feeling of a driver when winning a race. The helmet hides feelings that cannot be understood."

SEGA's Monaco GP arcade game, which came out in 1979, was one of the earliest racing sims. It was followed by Super Monaco GP in 1989. But, as every fan knows, every Monaco GP is super.

Lotus cars won seven Monaco grands prix, making it the third most successful marque after McLaren and Ferrari.

The first Monaco Grand Prix, in 1929, was won by a mysterious Englishman known as W Williams. He was later recruited as a spy.

INDIANAPOLIS 500

Indianapolis Motor Speedway's gargantuan grandstands can hold 250,000 race fans. That makes it the biggest sporting facility in the world. A hot dog vendor's dream.

The Lotus 38 was the first mid-engined car to win the Indy 500, back in 1965. Jim Clark dominated that race. Soon, front-engined racers were a thing of the past.

Know why it's nicknamed 'The Brickyard'? Because when it was built in 1909 it was paved with 3.2 million bricks. Now it's been covered in asphalt, of course, but a famous 'yard of bricks' remains exposed on the start/finish line as a reminder of the past.

Mario Andretti and Colin Chapman met for the first time at Indianapolis in '65. In 1968, the American raced for Lotus in Formula One and a decade later won the world championship in the black and gold '79. A giant of US auto racing, he only won Indy once in 29 attempts. People have dubbed it "the Andretti curse".

There are an unprecedented four ladies racing at Indianapolis this year: Simona de Silvestro, Danica Patrick, Pippa Mann and Ana Beatriz. Pippa Mann makes history as being the first British woman ever to race in the 500.

The first event to be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a helium balloon competition two months before the oval was completed in 1909. It wasn't much of a crowd puller.

Jim Clark missed the 1965 Monaco Grand Prix so he could race the Lotus 38 at Indy. His success provoked a wave of British drivers heading to Indiana in the following years. Incidentally, Clark never won Monaco.

Spectators at the Indy 500 drink 16,000 gallons of Coca-Cola and 14,000 gallons of beer. Burp.

Clark was the first foreigner in almost half a century to win the Indy 500. The following year, in 1966, Lotus chum and countryman Graham Hill drank the milk too.

The weight of Brickyard Burgers consumed on race weekend is equal to the weight of six Indy Cars. And that's without relish.

Lotus-Renault GP blasted from the back of the grid into the points after a dramatic exhaust fire saw Nick Heidfeld running from his car in Saturday morning's practice and unable to take part in qualifying. Starting dead last he employed a three-stop strategy and tore through the field to finish eighth, less than half a second behind Nico Rosberg.

Eric Boullier, LRGP team principal, commented: "I think frustrated is the right word to describe Vitaly's result, because yesterday he could have been even faster on his qualifying lap. And then today, even when he was in a promising position at sixth on the grid, he dropped down some places, which was not what we expected. On the other hand, we are happy for Nick who came from the back of the grid to finish in eighth. He was chasing both Mercedes in the final lap, and he almost finished ahead of Nico (Rosberg), so all in all he had a good race."

Lotus ART - GP2 Series – Barcelona: Trouble started for the Lotus-ART team before the racing had got underway, with Jules Bianchi being stripped of his pole position for ignoring yellow flags in qualifying. He was bumped down to 11th. Despite losing places at the first corner after making contact with Luiz Razia, he went on to finish seventh putting him on the front row for Sunday's sprint race. But his luck ran out before Turn 1 when he moved across on Guido van der Garde and put them both out in spectacular fashion. Jules was taken to the medical centre for checks but is confirmed as fit and well.

Esteban Gutierrez qualified 16th for Race 1 but fought his way through the field and caught up with his team-mate. He was gunning for a points position when he attempted to pass 11th placed Michael Herck at Turn 5. Misjudging Herck's braking, he t-boned the Romanian, finishing both their races. Esteban was penalized ten places for Race 2, starting from 25th, the penultimate grid slot. Once again he fought through the field and once again traded paint with Herck down at Turn 12, but this time the damage was minor and the Mexican finished the race 12th.

Lotus-ART team principal Frederic Vasseur commented: "The pole position of Julius was superb and it is regrettable a severe penalty has ruined his performance. Suddenly, a weekend that held so much promise turned into a nightmare. But I'm not worried, Lotus-ART and its pilots have the potential to aim for the top step of the podium will be our goal Monaco."

KVRT Lotus - IndyCar – Indianapolis 500 Qualifying, Indianapolis: KV Racing Technology-Lotus will have three cars in the field for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. In Saturday's qualifying session, Takuma Sato posted a four-lap average speed of 225.736mph around the legendary 2.5 mile Brickyard to line up tenth for next weekend's race. This will be his second 500. EJ Viso, on his fourth visit to Indiana's super speedway, enjoyed his best qualifying result yet with 18th. Nine-times Indy veteran Tony Kanaan, who is considered one of the greatest drivers to never win the race, lines up 23rd of the 33 cars. His best result in the 500 mile race was second in 2004.

KRTV-Lotus co-owner Jimmy Vasser commented: "I am really proud of the whole team and all the work that was done. You can see how difficult it is to get all your cars in the field solid and how important it is to get them all in on the first day."

Lotus Driving Academy - GT4 Blancpain Endurance Series 2011, Navarra: The Lotus Driving Academy GT4 Team achieved their first race win in Blancpain Endurance Series 2011 event in Navarra, Spain, this weekend. The all Swiss driver line-up of Lorenz Frey, Rolf Maritz and Fredy Barth celebrated the first race win for Lotus Driving Academy in Spain after Fredy Barth qualified the LDA Lotus Evora GT4 in Pole Position and a great combination of driver performance and team work saw Lorenz Frey crossing the line in P1 after an exciting three hour race.

After a successful championship opening race (P2) in Monza Lotus Driving Academy is now leading the team championship followed by Lotus Sport Italia.

Commenting on the weekend's results Claudio Berro, Group Lotus Director of Motorsport, said: "It's been another strong showing for Lotus, even though we don't have the podiums across the board to prove it – but that's motorsport. Vitaly Petrov proved once again in qualifying trim at the R31 F1 car is competitive, qualifying on the third row, and I was hugely impressed to see Nick Heidfeld finish where he did.In GP2, Jules Bianchi was unlucky to lose his pole position. And next weekend is going to be very exciting as Lotus returns to Indianapolis, where we have enjoyed much success in the past. A special mention needs to go to the Lotus Driving Academy GT4 Team who achieved their first race win at Navarra in the Blancpain Endurance race."

A: The first thing I have to say is that Nick did a fantastic job – starting from the back of the grid and finishing in 8th was fantastic - so credit to him. The team did a good job and kept their cool after the incident in qualifying and focussed on the job in hand which is very important.

I think Vitaly qualified well and had a great start to the race, he really pushed but for me Nick really shone, having three spare sets of tyres definitely helped him.

Q: As you mentioned, Nick started from the back and finished in P8 where as his team mate Vitaly qualified in P6 and finished P11 – this example could show that a drivers’ race performance is dictated more by tyre saving than qualifying position – do you think that qualifying strategies need to be rethought this year?

A: It’s an interesting thought but no, I don’t think so. When you look at the final result, only four cars finished on the same lap, the Red Bulls and McLarens, all the other cars were lapped. I think the race result is determined by more than one single factor such as tyre wear – my personal view is that it’s much better to qualify well and start well than to conserve your tyres – I think this helps you more during the race.

Q: We’re five races down in the season now and it’s very clear that changing the tyre supplier has made a big difference to the style of racing we are now experiencing, what are your thoughts on this, both from a driver and spectator perspective?

A: What you must first remember is that the teams and the Federation agreed to the change with a clear idea on the effect it would have on the sport – more tyre wear and increased number of pit stops and therefore more action within a race. As a driver, I don’t think it makes a huge difference. You are constantly in touch with your engineer and the team, so you always know who you’re following, when you need to stop and how much to push. As a spectator though, I wonder if it gets a little confusing after a while, without inside knowledge, it can be difficult to tell who is on what tyre and which strategy but I guess for some, this will make the race even more exciting!

Q: You mentioned before the Turkish Grand Prix that you felt Monaco would be a good race for Lotus Renault GP, with two more races complete, do you still feel that way?

A: Absolutely. I think the Monaco street circuit will suit the R31’s special characteristics perfectly and I think LRGP will do really well there – I would go even further than saying we’ll have a good performance, I think we may even see a podium finish from Nick or Vitaly – the two visits to the podium in the first two races were not accidental. I’m really looking forward to the race!

During the star studded fashion show and auction at the historic Forville Market in Cannes a special edition Evora S donated by Group Lotus was sold for €120,000 to help with the fundraising effort.

Alesi shared the catwalk with stars of stage, screen, fashion and sport. Yasmin Le Bon, Karolina Kurkova, Victoria Silvstedt, Rosario Dawson, Barbara Becker, Novak Djokovic, legendary icon Jane Fonda and Naomi Campbell herself all took a turn on the catwalk for the charity.

Commenting on his modelling debut, Jean Alesi said: "I am so proud to be part of this spectacular event, the people of Japan need all the help they can get and this is a great way to bring people together and make a difference."

Naomi Campbell said: "I love working with our friends at Group Lotus! Fashion For Relief and the charities we support are so very grateful for your support. Thank you to everyone at Lotus who helped us!"

Gino Rosato, Director of Corporate Operations at Group Lotus added: "Fashion For Relief does great work for those in desperate need and we are proud to be part of this fundraising effort. I think many people were touched by the disaster in Japan earlier this year and we're really pleased to be able to do something to help - it's great to see the Lotus family making a difference to families and communities around the world."

Naomi Campbell and ‘Fashion For Relief TM’ will be raising vital funds with a star studded fashion show and auction at the historic Forville Market in Cannes on Monday 16th May and Lotus has donated a customised Lotus Evora to the charity for auction.

Lotus' contribution is a bespoke, high-performance Evora S with a dramatic colour scheme which reflects Naomi's design direction.

Naomi Campbell says, “The destruction caused by the earthquake in Japan is completely heartbreaking and I felt compelled to do our part and support Japan at this time. I am delighted that Lotus Cars has joined forces with ‘Fashion For Relief TM‘ for the second consecutive year and I am sure with their continued support we will raise crucial funds for this deserving cause.”

Gino Rosato, Director of Corporate Operations at Lotus says, "Fashion for Relief does great work for those in desperate need and we are proud to be part of this fundraising effort. Our entire workforce gets behind these projects and we love to see the Lotus family making a difference to families and communities around the world."

Group Lotus are proud to announce a rocking new partnership with 'Anthems', a collection of concerts starring legendary Queen star Brian May and West End and Broadway singing sensation, Kerry Ellis (We Will Rock You, Wicked, Chess in Concert and Oliver!).

Under the creative direction of Brian May, this series of unique productions provides the perfect opportunity to experience Anthems, the stunning hit debut album from Kerry Ellis produced by Brian May. In addition to performing Anthems, the concerts feature an opening set from American 'soul rock' sensation Vintage Trouble and will also include May's special rock-orchestral settings of songs and new material.

Group Lotus decided to partner the concerts after working closely with Brian last year when he played an integral role in the unveiling of Lotus' future model line-up as he joined supermodel Naomi Campbell to unveil the new Lotus Esprit, the eagerly anticipated incarnation of the iconic British supercar.

Commenting on the relationship, Group Lotus Director of Corporate Operations Gino Rosato, said: "I've had the pleasure of working with Brian May many times over the years and when he told us about the concept for the Anthems concerts, we were happy to show our support for what we think will be a collection of really special music events. At Lotus we believe passionately in brand experience rather than traditional advertising, this activity by association is an extension of this policy."

Brian May said: "I have a lot of affection for Group Lotus and I'm really happy that we can work together on Anthems. I'm happy to support what the team at Lotus is doing to return the iconic British sportscar marque to the forefront of people's minds. Now seems like the perfect time to be working together."

Speaking about the concerts he added: "Kerry Ellis is acknowledged as a phenomenon, equally at home in Musical Theatre and Rock. I was convinced from the moment she brought the character of Meat to life in 'We Will Rock You', nine years ago, that she was destined to be a worldwide star. The challenge was to develop songs and arrangements to allow that amazing voice to reach its true potential. I feel we have now achieved this together on 'Anthems: The Concert'. It's a kind of Anthemic-Orchestral-Rock-Musical-Theatre Fusion! But the key is the passion in that unique voice."

After kicking off at the Royal Albert Hall followed by an appearance at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall the remaining Anthems tour schedule is as follows:

Thursday May 12 Glasgow Royal Concert Hall 0141 353 8000 Saturday May 14 Cardiff St David's Hall 02920 878 444 Monday May 16 Manchester Bridgewater Hall 0161 907 9000 Wednesday May 18 Milton Keynes Theatre 0844 871 7652 Thursday May 19 Southend Cliffs Pavilion 01702 351 135 Saturday May 21 Bath Forum 01225 463 362 ADDITIONAL DATES Saturday 1 June Hampton Court 0844 873 7344 Saturday 16 July RAF Cranwell 0844 888 9991

Qualifying: Vitaly Petrov – P7 / Nick Heidfeld – P9

Race: Nick Heidfeld – P7 / Vitaly Petrov – P8

Championship: 4th – 42 points

Lotus Renault GP left Istanbul Park with ten championship points – the first double points finish of the season - after a hard-fought race saw an improvement on the starting position.

With 82 pitstops and dozens of thrilling overtaking manoeuvres the race was breathless. Vitaly Petrov overtook Michael Schumacher on Lap 2 but the Mercedes driver turned in on him, causing damage to both cars. Schumi was quick to apologise after the race. Vitaly soldiered on, before jousting with team-mate Nick Heidfeld through the final turns on Lap 12. There was some anxious foot-tapping on the Lotus Renault pitwall, but the drivers gave each other just enough room, even if there was some gesticulating from the cockpit!

The team employed a four-stop strategy, which turned out to be the optimal strategy. On the final lap, Vitaly pulled a daring move on Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi to finish eighth while Nick was able to cross the line ahead in seventh.

Vitaly Petrov: "It was an interesting race and strategically it was challenging for all the teams. I think what really affected my position today was the collision with Michael [schumacher] early in the race. He hit my car and then I was stuck behind some slower drivers after the first pit stop. If this had not happened, my race would have been much stronger and I could have pulled away. However, I was pleased to overtake Sebastien [buemi] at the end, which took me back into eighth. We must be positive, we have both cars in the points and it's another ten points for the team."

Nick Heidfeld: "It's always good to score points, but I think I could have finished even higher up today, even though I started in P9. I am not totally happy with the race - I was stuck in traffic for quite a while, overtaking was difficult and Vitaly made contact with me - but my pace was good, especially at the end of the race when the car was light on the soft tyres. I also think our strategy was the right one. Overall, to finish in P7 and take six points for the team is good, given that I did not qualify in a higher position."

GP2 – Lotus-ART – Turkish Grand Prix

Qualifying: Jules Bianchi (JB) – P4 / Esteban Gutierrez (EG) – P24

Race 1: JB– P3 / EG – DNF Race 2: JB– P7 / EG– P10

Championship: 5th – 6 points

Turkey saw the GP2 class of 2011 do battle for the first time. In the feature race, Esteban Gutierrez tangled with Ocean's Kevin Mirocha on the run down to Turn 1. A separate incident on the first lap triggered a four-lap safety period and, once the race was underway again, Jules Bianchi was passed by Super Nova's Luca Filippi for fourth place after the Frenchman out-braked himself trying to put a move on third-placed Dani Clos. In the pits, Jules struggled to pull away and lost places to Arden's Josef Kral and Trident's Stefano Coletti which he then regained. On the last lap he skillfully passed Racing Engineering's Clos and Addax' Guido van der Garde to take P3.

In Race 2 there was more first lap drama when Jules was tapped into a spin by Dams' Romain Grosjean, leaving the Lotus-ART driver to fight his way back through the field from 23rd. It was a similar story for Esteban who, after Saturday's crash, started 24th and managed to sprint through to tenth.

Jules Bianchi: "It wasn't an easy weekend! In Race 1 I made a normal start but Clos did a really good one, and then I tried to overtake him and did a mistake in corner 12, and Filippi overtook me at corner one. The first set wasn't good for me, I had a bit of oversteer, but anyway we were P5, so it wasn't too bad. I wanted to have some points for this race but after the pits I did a mistake and put on the anti-stall twice, so I came out around Kral and Coletti, I think, and I had to overtake them. I used my tyres a bit too much on this first lap, so it was not an easy race: I did some good moves but anyway we finished third, so it's a good way to start the championship. Sunday was frustrating, getting pitched into a spin at Turn 14. Battling my way from 23rd to seventh was a big challenge in the 23 lap race, and I had some good battles."

Esteban Gutierrez: "It was a little frustrating what happened in Race 1, but such things happen from time to time. On the other hand it's not a huge deal, we have to take the positive from the experience and continue working. My mission for Race 2 was to finish, and we did so passing 14 cars in the process."

ILMC – Lotus Jetalliance - 1000KM of Spa-Francorchamps

Race: Car 64 (Rich-Slingerland) – P9 / Car 65 (Hirschi-Rossiter-Mowlem) – DNF

The first competitive outing for the new Lotus Evora GTE was encouraging, with Martin Rich and Oskar Slingerland getting Car 24 to the finish line of the 1000km marathon, despite only totaling 450km in pre-race testing. Car 65 of Jonathan Hirschi, James Rossiter and Johnny Mowlem was less fortunate, suffering a blown engine after 21 laps.

Car 64 managed to clock 119 laps during the six-hour-long endurance race, finishing ninth in the LM GTE Pro category. This came despite a mid-race crash into the barriers at Pouhon, costing the team three laps in repairs, and an even more time-consuming gearbox issue after the car stuck in gear. The team changed the transmission's compressor and applied additional cooling before sending the Evora out again.

The next race will be the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 11-12, and the Lotus marque is thrilled to be returning to this most legendary of events.

Jan Kalmar, Team Manager, Lotus Jetalliance: "It's a pain that only one car finished but, to be honest with you, given the lack of testing we had going into this race I think it went extremely well. One thousand kilometres is double the distance the car had been run before. There is an awful lot we need to improve on – engine, cooling and handling – but this is to be expected given the early stage of our Evora GTE program. On the whole, I think we have a lot to be optimistic about. Our goal was to finish, not set lap records."

Claudio Berro, Director of Motorsport, Group Lotus: "Overall, a very positive weekend's racing for Group Lotus. It was good to kick off to Lotus-ART's GP2 campaign with a podium courtesy of Jules Bianchi. In F1, Lotus Renault GP scored its first double-points finish of the year. And at Spa-Francorchamps the Lotus Evora GTE achieved a lot of mileage which was our goal ahead of tackling Le Mans. Things are shaping up nicely for this Summer."