Engine: Renault V8 RS27-2011

Chassis material: Carbon Fibre

Bodywork material: Carbon Fibre

Front Suspension: Carbon Fibre

Rear Suspension: Carbon Fibre

Dampers: Penske & Multimatic

Steering: Team Lotus

Gearbox: Red Bull Technologies

Clutch: AP

Discs: Carbone Industrie or Hitco

Calipers: AP

Pads: Carbone Industrie or Hitco

Cooling system (radiators, heat exchangers): Team Lotus

Cockpit instrumentation: MES

Seat belts: Schroth

Steering wheel: Team Lotus

Driver's seat: Team Lotus

Extinguisher system: FEV

Wheels: BBS to Team Lotus Specification

Fuel cell: ATL

Battery: Yuasa

Fuel provider: Total

Lubricants provider: Various

Wheel base: More than 3000 mm

Overall Length: Approx 5 metres

Overall Height: 950mm

The legendary Team Lotus name has returned to Formula One™ for the 2011 season, but to trace the roots of the return of one of world sport's most iconic names we have to go back to 2009.

On September 12th 2009 the team, then known as Lotus Racing, was officially born when the FIA granted its entry into the 2010 FIA Formula One™ World Championship.

Headed up by Team Principal Tony Fernandes and Deputy Team Principals Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin, supported by Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne and Chief Executive Riad Asmat, the team made its base in Hingham, Norfolk, near the original home of Team Lotus and set about its 2010 challenge of winning the battle of the new teams in Formula One™.

Stepping back even further, the team's origins began before September 2009, with Tony and fellow shareholders Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin leading a consortium of Malaysian business interests who joined forces to provide initial funding for the nascent team under the parent company 1Malaysia Racing Sdn Bhd.

Tony immediately began appointing key senior management positions, including Riad Asmat as Chief Executive Officer and Keith Saunt as Chief Operating Officer, while Mike Gascoyne began work on the technical program in the UK and across Europe.

As the team moved into its new Hingham home, work began immediately on building the 2010 cars with Mike directing the technical efforts across centres of excellence in design, wind tunnel, composite manufacturing and a host of ancillary support services throughout Europe in an intensive effort to be ready for the rapidly approaching season ahead.

With the car build process under way, a similar effort was also being undertaken in creating the team itself, with new staff being taken on every day, and the fabric of the team's identity being created from scratch.

In December 2009 one of the first major milestones was reached, with a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur unveiling the first Lotus Racing drivers - Italy's Jarno Trulli, Finland's Heikki Kovalainen and Malaysia's Fairuz Fauzy as third driver.

The combination of race winning experience, determination and passion gave the team a good platform from which to establish the true pace of the car and have a fighting chance of exceeding expectations in the season ahead.

December brought the UK's worst winter for 30 years and as staff numbers at the Hingham factory grew work continued apace on preparations for the forthcoming season.

Jarno, Heikki and Fairuz all spent time in snowy Norfolk, having their seats fitted and familiarising themselves with their new Race Engineers, pit crews and support staff.

Chassis 01 passed all its crash tests in early January and soon afterwards was back at the factory for the engineers and mechanics to start work on the car's build process.

As the team's hours in the factory increased, a modern F1™ car began to take shape, and by early February the months of hard work culminated in the first Cosworth engine fire up in the factory.

Two days after that momentous first engine fire up the now 130 strong staff gathered in the factory's race bays for a first view of the car in its final build specification.

As the final pieces of bodywork were fixed in place, the Lotus Racing team saw had their first look at the car's green and yellow livery, bringing to mind some of motor racing's most iconic images and leaving everyone involved with the impression that not only was the car beautiful, but also would exceed the expectations of motor racing fans around the world.

The next day the team moved to a very cold and snowy Silverstone for shakedown – a day where system checks and engineering procedures worked in harmony to finally see the Lotus Cosworth T127, as it had by then been designated, break cover on track, with Malaysia's Fairuz Fauzy at the wheel.

There was huge interest in this test from fans and media alike, and at the end of the 2010 season Autosport, the motorsport industry bible, reported that a spy-shot of the T127 at the shakedown was its most viewed image of the whole year.

Having successfully completed the shakedown, the team and nearly 500 guests gathered in London in February 2010 at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Halls to see Tony, Mike, Jarno, Heikki and Fairuz unveil the T127 for the first time in public.

Among the guests were some true legends of the sport, including Sir Stirling Moss and Nigel Mansell, as well as the massed ranks of the world's media, there to see the car that would be competing around the world in the 2010 Formula One™ World Championship.

The team received a huge vote of praise at the event, in the subsequent press coverage and feedback from fans around the world, proving they had made the right choice in terms of the driver line-up, strategic goals and, most importantly to many fans, the colour scheme – a green and yellow livery that pays homage to the marque's illustrious heritage and demonstrates that the team is fully aware of its place, standing on the shoulders of motorsport giants.

Barely taking time to breathe, Lotus Racing then moved on to the pre-season tests, the first time the cars would run in anger only five months after the team's inception.

Straight after the tests it was destination Bahrain for the season opening race.

On March 12th, exactly six months to the day since gaining their entry to the 2010 Championship, Lotus Racing recorded another milestone – this time seeing both cars out on track in Friday practice for the first time.

The weekend ended with both cars being classified – Heikki finishing 15th and Jarno 17th after an extremely emotional weekend brought a dream conclusion.

Having both cars classified earned the team huge respect across the motorsport world, and this respect grew throughout the season as the team took charge of the battle of the new teams, a lead they comfortably held onto throughout the 19 race season.

At the last race of 2010 in Abu Dhabi Lotus Racing was confirmed in tenth place in the Championship, securing the best new team title.

Alongside this success on track the team continued to go from strength to strength off track with the total number of staff now over 220, including 30 Malaysian staff based in the UK and Malaysia working in the design office, marketing and the commercial team.

A few notable incidents took place in the latter half of the year, with Heikki and Mark Webber coming together in spectacular fashion in Valencia, Heikki earning a new nickname "FireMan" for his heroic fire-fighting exploits in Singapore and then recording the team's best result of the season in the incident-packed Japanese Grand Prix when car 19 came home in 12th place.

That result, and a very strong end to the season from both drivers, was enough to secure that all important tenth place in the 2010 Championship, sparking off major celebrations for the team at the seasonending race in Abu Dhabi.

By that point a number of other significant changes had taken place in the team, all of which will help the Anglo-Malaysian squad take the next steps forward in their long-term challenge to reach the top.

For the 2011 season and beyond the cars are powered by Renault engines, as used by the Championship winning Red Bull Racing team in 2010, and the similarities with Red Bull extend to the new gearbox and hydraulic systems package that will be bolted onto the Renault engines powering Team Lotus in 2011, supplied by Red Bull Technology and giving the team an incredibly powerful, reliable and aerodynamically efficient new powertrain that will help it take the fight to the established teams from the start of the 2011 season.

Another demonstration of Team Lotus' commitment to providing aspiring motorsport talent from around the world with the opportunity to join the Team Lotus dream is the establishment of a dedicated demonstration team in Malaysia.

This team, who will run showcars at events around the ASEAN region and will be launched before the Malaysian Grand Prix 2011, gives a chance for young mechanics, engineers and ancillary support staff to learn and perfect their skills with a running car, giving them an invaluable first step on the ladder to future F1™ success.

Even more exciting for the army of Lotus Racing fans was the news that for 2011 and beyond Lotus Racing officially changed its name to Team Lotus.

Having successfully concluded the purchase of the full rights of the Team Lotus brand from David Hunt, the 2011 grid sees the return of Team Lotus, one of the most famous names in motor racing history.

Fans around the world have been following the development of the Norfolk based squad since that momentous day in September 2009 when there were just four people in the factory in Hingham, and with the return of Team Lotus in 2011 they will be glued to the next exciting chapter of this incredible story.

An Interview with Graham Watson

TL: Mr Watson, Team Manager! It's the middle of January, the car's due to fire up soon... What's going on in your world?

GW: My world is very busy. Obviously with the car there are always ongoing things and it's a tight schedule up to the first test, plus there's always lots of production going on in the background. From an operational side we're heavily into booking everything for the season; flights, hotels, hire cars and all the logistics of moving a Formula One™ team around the world! While we have to manage all of the personnel and car requirements, you have to think about all pieces and aspects of a team. For example, both our race trailers are away having modifications, so that's all going on as well!

From a Race Team point of view, we've had a few additions to the crew, which I believe will strengthen the team and the new guys are familiarising themselves with the current staff and fitting into the team. We have a new Number One Mechanic coming, which is great news. So yes, all in all, it's a pretty busy time, particularly this year.

TL: This year we have twenty races in the season... Is that a headache for you?

GW: Twenty races actually isn't too bad. We had nineteen last year, so it's only one more to be honest, and we managed last year! I was actually looking at the breakdown this morning for the Mechanics; they're away one hundred and eighty days this year, so if you add the one hundred and eighty days to the twenty-two days holiday entitlement, and their twenty-four lieu day entitlement and the six days bank holiday, then they can actually only be in the factory for a total of eighty-nine days! So when people say 'oh the Race Team are never here,' it's because they physically can't be! So having twenty races adds to that. It means slightly more time away, but from an operational point of view it's not really a big headache. We've done our recce to India, and we're happy with where we're going and staying etc.

TL: And what have you been doing over the winter and during the off-season? Obviously you're part of the Race Team so you're away for those days too, plus others for recce trips! What have you been doing to relax?

GW: This winter's been quite difficult as we're changing engine manufacturer to Renault and have a new relationship with Red Bull Technology for the gearbox and hydraulics. That change has created some complications for the new car development over the winter, but it's all for the good. I've managed to take some long weekends and obviously we had Christmas and New Year. But to relax, I'm a big rugby fanatic, so really I love just to chill out on the sofa and watch a few games, and spend time with my wife, Fiona.

TL: Which races are you looking forward to this year? Personally, and as a fan?

GW: Personally I really enjoy the long-haul races. I think because most of them are based in a city, or near a city, for example Montreal or Melbourne, they have a bigger atmosphere outside of the track. So when you go outside, people are still hyped up and really interested in what's going on and there's such a great vibe around the Grands Prix. This year after Melbourne I'll be heading back to New Zealand for a quick stop, which will be great, and so that's the one I'm really looking forward to this time around!

TL: We've changed our name to Team Lotus, and we're making some massive steps forward... How does that make you feel, being one of the crucial cogs in the wheel?

GW: I think Team Lotus name is one of the most revered names in sport, however I truly believe Tony [Fernandes] is right, and that the team makes the team and not just the name. For me, I've always been one of those people who likes to do a professional job, and I expect the team around me to do a professional job. Really, we could be called 'Tinpot Racing' and it wouldn't affect the way we work. Having the Team Lotus name is of course a drive and a huge incentive, but as professional people we will always focus on our jobs and do the very best we can.

TL: We're firing up the engine and unveiling the car soon... how's it all going?

GW: It's different this time around as we're doing some much more in-house. Last year was difficult, but this year is too, because we're doing everything internally - designing and producing the car - and of course it takes time for people to gel. It can take years for a Formula One™ team to gel properly, and I think we're making good steps forward in doing that, and we're becoming a tight unit. The end product will be a better product for sure.

TL: What are your goals for this year, as Team Manager?

GW: My personal goal is I'd like us to be the best pitstop team in the pitlane this year. Period. There's no excuses why we can't be. You can sit there and talk about money, but to be honest, pitstops are a very pure thing and the equipment we all use in the pitlane is very standard, bar a couple of the teams. Even then it doesn't have a huge impact on the times, so we really have to focus on becoming one of the best pit stop teams, if not the best, consistently in the pit lane. The other aspect for me is to maintain the levels of professionalism that we carried through 2010 and improving on those levels and taking it a step forward. If we sit on our laurels, then we will very quickly become a non-professional looking unit. So those are my goals.

TL: What's the best part about being a Team Manager?

GW: I think the best thing is having a big influence on the operational side of the team, obviously I have no say in the engineering side! But I am involved in the way we look on track, the way we act and present ourselves. It's something I take a lot of pride in, and with the new staff changes I think we can achieve more and develop even further.

TL: What can we look out for this season?

GW: For the purist, the car will look very different, i.e. the shape of the car will change considerably from last year's challenger. But for the fans, I hope that the biggest difference you will see is that we're further up the grid! And that we're there on merit. 2010 was a brilliant year, but that's all history now, and it's about 2011 and people seeing a clear performance improvement on all areas.

TL: Sum up 2010 in one word, and then tell me a word that you feel represents Team Lotus.

GW: Hmm, I'd say 'rewarding' for my 2010 word. And for a word that describes Team Lotus, that's difficult! Just one word?

TL: Yep!

GW: I think 'passionate' would suit us. And I think 'hard' too - Mike Gascoyne's influence rubs off on us, in that we are here to do something and we will do it. End of story.

The Team Lotus 2011 challenger T128 was launched on Monday 31st January exclusively in Team Lotus Notes. The special launch edition of the team's magazine has a number of first-see images of the 2011 car and insights from key players within Team Lotus into the design and build process of the new car, including people from the Aero, R&D and Vehicle Dynamics, Design and Senior Management Teams.

Here are a few selected highlights, but click on the link to the launch edition on the homepage of www.teamlotus.co.uk for the whole story.

Marianne Hinson, Head of Aerodynamics: "In aero we started thinking about the new car around Spring last year, a bit before any of the other departments. The start of the process is a really fun period, when you're looking through the new rules, thrashing out ideas and trying to find loopholes."

Lewis Butler, Chief Designer: "The biggest design challenge was trying to package everything a bit smaller. We were trying to get that area around the driver really tight so the aerodynamicists were happy with it."

Elliot Dason-Barber, Head of R&D and Vehicle Dynamics: "We're definitely going to take a step forward with this car. Quite how much we'll close the gap to the teams in front of us we'll see, but my hope is we'll be competing with the teams that were a second or two ahead of us last season."

Keith Saunt, Chief Operating Officer: "You can just see that this car will be faster than last year's. It's got the right sweeps and curves on it - it's the very latest iteration of what an F1 car should be."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "I think that basically this car looks like a front-running car in every area. We said very clearly that we want to start challenging the established teams and I think that's very achievable."

Riad Asmat, Chief Executive Officer: "T128 takes Team Lotus in exactly the right direction. We have said since day one of the Team Lotus dream that the plan for our second year was to take the fight to the midfield, and with this car we are all confident that is what we will be able to do."

Team Principal Tony Fernandes: "There has been so much focus off-track it's a thrill to be able to get back to talking about racing. The launch of the T128 is a big step forward for Team Lotus and I want to thank the whole team for the amount of hard work that has already gone into the car, and I want to thank Renault and Red Bull Technology for their tremendous support in helping us make this step forward and for being such great team partners."

Photos here:

http://www.midlandslotus.co.uk/forum/index.php/gallery/page__module__cats__do__sc__cat__271

Team Lotus will launch its 2011 car, the TL11, exclusively free and online in the Team Lotus Notes magazine at 0500 (GMT) on Monday 31st January via www.teamlotus.co.uk

Team Lotus Notes is the team's exclusive free magazine that gives readers unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Team Lotus on and off track. Subscribers to the magazine will be sent the TL11 launch edition before images of the car appear anywhere else online - free subscription is available now via the website www.teamlotus.co.uk

The team will then be attending the first test of the season in Valencia with Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen at the wheel of chassis TL11-01 and have opted to take advantage of the 2011 rules and not run on Tuesday 1st February, replacing that date with a private test day and on-track filming on Friday 4th February.

T01 Valencia schedule

Tuesday 1st February

Media day – Jarno Trulli, Heikki Kovalainen, Mike Gascoyne, Riad Asmat and Tony Fernandes available for interview on request

Wednesday 2nd February

0845 – 0850 Team Lotus photocall in pitlane

0900 – 1700 Heikki Kovalainen

Thursday 3rd February

0900 – 1700 Jarno Trulli

Friday 4th February - Filming / Private Test Day

0900 – 1700 Jarno Trulli / Heikki Kovalainen

Team Lotus is delighted that we were successful at the Summary Judgment Application hearing today and that the Judge threw out Group Lotus' application even before hearing the arguments of the barristers on either side.

Although this decision was never in doubt, it means that we start the 2011 season under the Team Lotus name. Whilst we expected that the Judge would refuse this application, it is good to have the decision in black and white.

The Judge also felt that it was in everyone's best interests to bring the hearing date for the full trial forward and that is now fixed for 21st March rather than us having to wait until Autumn 2011 or even later. We remain confident that we will succeed at the full trial and we can now focus on the challenges ahead in the 2011 FIA Formula One™ World Championship.

The final day of on-track action of the 2010 season saw Lotus Racing's Jarno Trulli enjoy his first taste of the new Pirelli tyres at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. As the whole paddock was busy packing up to head home for the winter break Jarno completed a total of 83 laps, recording a quickest time of 1.44.521.

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-02): "It's been a very positive day. It was good to try the Pirelli tyres for the first time and while we have obviously got a lot of work ahead of us I think this was a good start. We will need to focus on the driveability of the tyres – on performance they were good, but we will need to work together in a clear direction to maximise the handling of the car. The hard compounds were pretty consistent, a little less so with the softs, but we have gathered a lot of data that will play an important part in the development of next year's car. Now the season is over I want to thank the whole team for their work this year – we have finished where we wanted to be and everyone in the team has played their part in helping us reach our goals, so thank you to them and the fans for everything this year."

Mike Gascoyne, Lotus Racing Chief Technical Officer: "Another successful day for us and a successful conclusion to both the test with Pirelli and the year in general. My thanks to Jarno for his work today – he gave us some excellent feedback which will give us valuable data for the development of the 2011 car. As this is the last run for the T127 I also want to thank the whole team for all their efforts in what has been a fantastic year and thank all our fans for giving us such great support throughout the season. Now we look ahead to 2011 and we are all excited about taking the next step forward with the new package in what is certain to be another very exciting chapter in our story."

Lotus Racing now head home to take some well earned rest after an incredible season in Formula One™ in which the Anglo-Malaysian squad achieved its primary goal of finishing as best of the new teams. A busy winter beckons preparing for the 2011 season, but for now it is goodbye to the FIA Formula One™ World Championship 2010.

Pirelli made its official return to Formula One™ today as the last two days of track action of the 2010 season began at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. Lotus Racing's Heikki Kovalainen was in chassis T127-02 for the first day of the official two day tyre test and rolled out of the garage early on Friday morning on the first ever set of Pirelli tyres mounted in the modern F1™ era. Over a busy day on track he completed 88 laps with a best time of 1.44.686.

Heikki Kovalainen: "It's good to welcome Pirelli back into our sport and we had a good day on track, completing the whole programme and the balance of the car felt very comfortable all day. Honestly, I would like to drive the car again tomorrow but now we have a long break until testing starts again in a couple of months and I can't wait to get back in the car next year."

Mike Gasocyne, Lotus Racing Chief Technical Officer: "An interesting and very useful first day of testing with Pirelli. We had no mechanical issues on the car and managed to complete our full programme in 88 laps. The car was ballasted up to the 2011 weight limit for the day and we ran a series of fundamental tests within the parameters we could change with the tyres and in the afternoon we found some clear and useful setup directions for the engineers to work on. We set our quickest lap of the day at the end of the session on a pretty worn set and all of the data gives us very useful information that we will carry over to tomorrow when Jarno is back in the car for his first taste of the new Pirelli tyres."

Day two of the Abu Dhabi young driver test for Lotus Racing started with Rodolfo González back at the wheel of chassis T127-03, and Bulgaria's Vladimir Arabadzhiev in the seat for the afternoon session. In the morning Rodolfo completed 44 laps with a best time of 1.44.312 and in the afternoon Vladimir ran for 49 laps, recording a quickest time of 1.45.723.

Rodolfo González: "It was good make some more progress today and I was getting quicker every time I went out on track. I was still running with a reasonable amount of fuel and I'm happy with the job I did today as I think I reacted well to the changes that we made, and the instructions I was given by the team. I want also to say thank you again to Lotus Racing for giving me this opportunity. I have really enjoyed it and have definitely learnt a huge amount over the last few days."

Vladimir Arabadzhiev: "First of all I want to say thank you for this great opportunity which Lotus Racing gave me. It was an unbelievable experience to drive an F1™ car – the first time I went out was just fantastic. The feeling of the acceleration and the braking are phenomenal and I enjoyed every second. Unfortunately I only had half a day in the car which isn't quite enough time to really start building up experience, but I still think I did quite well with the laps I had and with the red flags we had in the session. Quite often people try too hard to impress in these sorts of sessions, pushing too hard and making mistakes, and I'm glad I didn't do that. Finally, the whole experience today was just great – seeing how such a well organised team like Lotus Racing works has been amazing and thanks to everyone again for making it such a good day."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "Firstly we would like to thank both Rodolfo and Vladimir for doing such a good job for us in their first time in a Formula One™ car. Their input with the team has been exactly what we wanted and they have both done a fantastic job working exactly to the programme we set them. Most importantly neither driver made any mistakes and they both gave us very impressive feedback which is what we need from them in this type of test.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Bridgestone on their last day of running with us. They have been an incredibly important partner of ours this year as we brought Lotus back to Formula One™ and we have all enjoyed working with them throughout this season. Whatever the future holds for Bridgestone in motorsport we look forward to working with them again one day and wish them the very best of luck in all their future endeavours, on and off track."

The sound of Formula One™ engines returned to Abu Dhabi today as Lotus Racing's young driver test began with Venezuela's Rodolfo González at the wheel of chassis T127-03. After a full day in the cockpit Rodolfo completed 83 laps with a best time of 1.44.924.

Rodolfo González: "What an incredible day. As I pulled out for my first lap I could not believe I was finally at the wheel of a Formula One™ car. Since I started karting at the age of five it has been my dream to get behind the wheel of an F1™ car and today it came true. It has been 18 years of hard work and sacrifice to reach this point and I want to say thank you to Lotus Racing for giving me this opportunity. I have been preparing for today for a long time and even though I completed 83 laps to be honest I am surprised I lasted that long – after 30 laps I was already feeling it and by the 82nd lap my neck was beginning to suffer so I thought it was time to stop. That is normal for anyone who makes the step up to F1™ but I am really pleased with how the whole day went.

"Since I arrived here the whole team has been just great. They have all given me real confidence and said I did not have to try to impress anybody, you have already impressed people anyway so just do a good steady job and you will be fine. Mike Gascoyne told me today was not about proving I am ready for F1, but it would show if I am not ready so I just wanted to do the most intelligent job I could. I have learnt a huge amount over the last couple of days and tomorrow I hope I can continue to progress on track and put in another good performance."

Jody Egginton, Chief Race Engineer: "Rodolfo did a good job for us today. He gave good, clear feedback, took a measured approach and spent the right amount of time learning his way around the car. This morning he drove steadily and started picking his pace up this afternoon when we moved to some more performance biased runs. The fuel loads and setups he was running would compare with a normal Friday at a race weekend, so he had the experience of both high and low fuel and a range of run types. He worked well with the engineers all day and studied the data in depth so I think for his first time in an F1™ car he has done a pretty decent job overall."

While Lotus Racing's attention now turns to the young driver and tyre tests in Abu Dhabi, the team, AirAsia and their counterparts at Virgin Racing are busy preparing for Richard Branson's inaugural flight as an AirAsia stewardess. In the midst of the celebrations on track last night Team Principal Tony Fernandes gave Richard an AirAsia uniform and pinned an AirAsia stewardess' badge on the Virgin Racing boss and the two agreed how the bet would be settled.

Tony Fernandes "There has been a fantastic spirit of competition between us and Virgin Racing all season and one of the first people to come and congratulate us on the pitwall was Richard. We have had this great bet running all season and now it's time for Richard to start preparing himself for some hard work and the likely pain of a pair of high heels! We agreed last night that we will run an online charity auction for the seats on our Kuala Lumpur / London route to raise money for a charity of Richard's choice and give fans of both teams the chance to be on the flight. The date of the flight will be announced very soon and the aim is to raise as much money as we can for a good cause so the discomfort Richard will go through is worth as much as it possibly can be!"

More details on the date of the flight and how to enter the charity auction to bid for a seat will be announced very soon.

Lotus Racing secured its primary goal of tenth place in the 2010 FIA Formula One™ World Championship when Heikki Kovalainen finished the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 17th place. Jarno Trulli's race came to an unfortunate end on lap 51 and finished in the garage after his car suffered a rear wing failure with just three laps left.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-03) 17th, fastest lap 1.45.378: "What a fantastic end to our season. The race itself was just great, right from when the lights went out. I got the best start of the season, made up places immediately and from that point on I just got my head down and got on with it. Everything went perfectly according to plan. The tyres weren't really degarding and as the car got lighter and the fuel burnt away I was able to keep putting in what felt like qualifying laps throughout the whole race. I was able to pull away a gap to the cars behind me and we managed the traffic really well all race. After I came out of the pits I had to let a few cars past which cost me several seconds, but that wasn't a problem as I could keep pulling away from my direct rivals. This is the perfect way to end our first season, and gives us a huge boost for next year. We finished on a high, achieved all our goals and we have a very exciting future ahead of us. Thank you to the whole team for a fantastic season – I can't wait for next year."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-02) DNF, fastest lap 1.45.979: "First of all congratulations to the whole team. Everyone has done an amazing job this year and while it's been long and tough, for a brand new team it's been special. My race was one of the ones I'll want to forget. I had a problem with the front wing to begin with, and then a rear wing failure finished the race so I'm pretty glad it's over! This year I've had all sorts of bad luck but I'm very confident about next year as the package that's been put together is very good and it gives everyone in the team a chance to take the next step forward."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "Job done. When we started out on this project the first target was to be best of the new teams. When you think how late our entry was confirmed that was always going to be a good challenge, but we have done it. We gave Tony, Din and Nasa tenth place and that makes me very proud of the whole team. On a personal level I'd like to thank my partner Silvi. We did this together and I could not have done it without her or the whole team. However, this is just the beginning. Next year what is important is the steps we take forward, but for tonight we will enjoy the achievement. We have earned it."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "I am completely relieved, completely ecstatic, completely happy and completely vindicated in making the decision to go into F1™. What we have achieved today is what dreams are made of. To complete 19 races after having just five months to build a car and finish in tenth in style is something that is truly magical. It shows you that even in the modern age where money and power counts for so much, there is a chance for ambition and dreams to shine. 2010 is a year that we can be proud of. We brought Lotus back into F1™™ after many had talked about it, but we did it. I can confidently say that everyone associated with the Lotus history can be very proud of what we have done this year. This is the first chapter of a long career ahead and we will create our own future, destiny and history from here. I am thankful to all the incredibly special staff we have in Hingham, Malaysia and here in Abu Dhabi for what they have done this year and my abiding memory of 2010 comes from one of our engineers, who told me he had achieved higher grid positions with other teams, but never with a team that feels as special as this. To all the Lotus fans thank you so much for your support – we could not have done it without you. I am thrilled that Lotus Racing has opened up F1™™ to everyone out there, and we cannot wait to see you next year."

The perfect end to Lotus Racing's final qualifying session of the season saw the battle of the new teams culminate in a dominant display by the Anglo-Malaysian squad, with Jarno Trulli finishing in 19th place, over half a second ahead of Timo Glock, and Heikki Kovalainen very close behind Jarno in 20th.

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-02) FP3: 23 laps, best time 1.45.048, 20th / QUALIFYING: 19th, 1.43.516, 11 laps "That was great and I'm delighted we finished the last qualifying session of the season as best of the new teams. The car was really good this afternoon which is a little surprising as I had quite a bit of rear-locking under braking which we didn't have in FP3. Nevertheless, the track was improving throughout the session, so it was important to get a good lap in at the end which I managed to do. I think I could have found another tenth but I just wanted to make sure we were in front, and the fact we are, with a decent gap to Timo, is a sign of how well we are finishing the season."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-03) FP3: 15 laps, best time 1.44.876, 19th / QUALIFYING: 20th, 1.43.712, 11 laps "I thought the session was ok for me but congratulations to Jarno for putting in a great qualifying lap. I think I put in as good a performance as I could, and as both cars are ahead of our direct rivals it's where we want to be. We'll look to carry over today's performance into the race tomorrow and the main aim is to end the season as best of the new teams."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "I don't think we could have asked for any more today. Both cars were strong, well balanced and dominated the other new teams which was the number one goal. We have worked hard all weekend to get the best out of the tyres, and both Jarno and Heikki did that in qualifying, putting us in a very strong position for tomorrow's race."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "That was a fantastic display from the whole team. To end the final qualifying session of 2010 so far ahead of our main rivals is a great effort, and is just reward for the extremely hard work everyone has put in throughout the whole season. I have enjoyed every second of this weekend so far. On top of the strong performances on track yesterday and today, we have been able to take a few more important steps forward for 2011 and next year is looking more exciting than ever. However, for now it is all about this weekend. Richard Branson and I were measured up for our flight attendant uniforms today and that adds an extra bit of excitement to tomorrow's battle, but now it is all about making sure we keep our concentration and focus and finish the season as well as we did today."

The final Friday session of the 2010 season started with an unexpected rain shower just before FP1, initially limiting track time in the first of the day's two sessions for the whole grid. As the circuit dried the pace picked up, and as FP2 ended under the lights Heikki Kovalainen was top of the new teams in 19th, with Jarno Trulli in 21st.

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-02) FP1: 17 laps, best time 1.48.472, 20th / FP2: 35 laps, best time 1.45.612, 21st "It was a pretty smooth Friday for me, with no problems in either session. We did some good work evaluating the tyres and saw pretty high degradation so I think we'll need to keep an eye on that for the race. The balance of the car was good – we still have to improve it but all in all it was a positive day."

Fairuz Fauzy (Chassis T127-03) FP1: 18 laps, best time 1.51.705, 24th "I'm pretty satisfied with how it went today but it was tricky for the first few laps. After the rain, which I think took everyone by surprise, the track was quite damp in places, and combining that with the fact I could only use one set of tyres, meant I couldn't really push. Despite that it was great to be back in the car, and I think I did a good team job today."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-03) FP2: 36 laps, best time 1.45.180, 19th "It was good for me today. As soon as I went out this afternoon the car was on the pace which was an encouraging sign for the weekend. Fairuz had set up the car very well this morning and with no issues all day we were able to get through the whole programme and finished in a strong position ahead of Timo."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "Two good Friday sessions for us at the last race of the season. We had no mechanical issues all day which we hope to carry through the whole weekend. Fairuz drove for us in FP1 and gathered some useful data from his run and both Jarno and Heikki put in some good mileage this afternoon which sets us up well for the weekend."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "It was a good day for us and it's always satisfying to finish at the head of the new teams. Fairuz did a good job this morning, particularly bearing in mind he has had very limited running all season. Both cars completed a decent number of laps in the morning and afternoon sessions which allowed us to complete all the setup work we had planned and, despite this being the last race of the seasonand after a long journey from Brazil at the weekend, the whole team looked good today. Everyone is ready for the final push and I think it will be an exciting weekend for us and for the whole grid."

Lotus Racing has today confirmed its driver line-up for the forthcoming Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi. The two drivers are Vladimir Arabadzhiev (Bulgaria) and Rodolfo González (Venezuela). Both drivers will be on track in chassis T127-02.

Riad Asmat, Lotus Racing Chief Executive Officer, gave his comments on the line-up, saying "We are very pleased to have confirmed that Rodolfo and Vladimir will be driving for us in Abu Dhabi. They both come from countries with growing interest in motorsport, and the chance to give emerging drivers the opportunity to step up to Formula One™ is central to the Lotus Racing philosophy of embracing young talent. Everyone in the team is looking forward to working with them over the two day test and I am delighted we could give them this opportunity."

Rodolfo González began his racing career in raced in the 2003 Formula Renault 2.0 UK Winter Series, graduating to the main series in 2004 and 2005. In 2006 He won the British F3 International Series National Class and finished 11th in the 2007 British Formula Three season with T-Sport. 2008 saw a move to Carlin Motorsport and the Formula Three Euroseries. He competed in the 2008–09 GP2 Asia Series season at Sakhir and entered the main GP2 Series at the German rounds, combining that with competing in Euroseries 3000 in 2009. For the 2009 / 2010 season he raced for Arden International in the first round of the 2009–10 GP2 Asia Series season and returned at the final round in Bahrain. Rodolfo will be testing for the Tuesday and part of the Wednesday 17th November session.

Vladimir Arabadzhiev first raced in the Italian Formula Three Championship in 2006 before progressing to the Euroseries 3000 championship in 2007. He joined the International Formula Master series in 2008 and stayed for 2009, before racing in the 2009–10 season of the GP2 Asia Series, for the Rapax Team. He also took part in the main series for the 2010 season, moving to Scuderia Coloni. Vladimir will be in the car for the afternoon session on Wednesday 17th November.

In a move that is certain to excite Lotus fans and followers of Formula One™ around the world, Lotus Racing has announced this morning that its cars will be running in a black and gold colour scheme from the 2011 Championship onwards. This move echoes the evolution of Lotus Formula One™ cars of the past by moving from the iconic green and yellow paint scheme of the first season to the much loved black and gold.

Lotus Racing has already won an army of fans worldwide whose support for the Anglo-Malaysian squad has been fuelled by the team's open, honest approach to racing, and its efforts on track which has seen the team edge ever closer to securing the 'best of the new teams' title in its debut season.

To bring the fans even closer to the team in its second season Head of Marketing Silvi Schaumloeffel today explained how the 2011 livery will be designed: "We have worked all year to make sure our fans are given unprecedented access to our team. We are all very excited about the move to a black and gold paint scheme for next season, and we want our fans to help us design the livery that will be racing around the world next year. We will shortly be announcing exactly how the fans can take part in our design process, so keep an eye on our website www.lotusracing.my for more details. The person who designs the livery we finally choose will be joining us at our first test next year to see the car out on track for the very first time, so for Lotus and F1™ fans it is the chance of a lifetime to help us take the next step forward in our amazing story in 2011."

Riad Asmat, Lotus Racing Chief Executive, added his thoughts on the next step in the Lotus Racing story: "When we first unveiled our 2010 car there was unanimous praise for our decision to bring the historic green and yellow livery back to the modern F1™ grid. I know the return to the track of the legendary black and gold will be met with even more universal support as it strikes such an emotional chord with fans around the world. Giving those fans the chance to help us bring it back to the contemporary grid is true to our core belief of putting our supporters right at the heart of Lotus Racing – we can't wait to show the world what we come up with!"

Lotus Racing are now back in the middle-east for the last race of the 2010 season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The team is in buoyant mood after another solid performance in Sao Paulo saw them tighten their grip on tenth place in the Championship, moving ever closer to achieving their primary goal in their debut season.

The Lotus Racing story is nothing short of spectacular. The team has already won an army of fans worldwide, gained huge respect within the notoriously tough F1 paddock and in the wider commercial world, and gone from a workforce of just four in September 2009 to over 200 now, all focused on taking a major step forward in 2011 to take on and beat the established teams ahead.

Fairuz Fauzy (driving in place of Heikki Kovalainen in FP1): "I'm looking forward to getting back in the car and I think it will be a very special atmosphere, on track and in the garage. The twilight running obviously makes the race very interesting, but as I'll be going out in FP1 the real challenge for me is to try and push on what will be a very green track. I've spent a bit of time in a simulator to prepare for the run on Friday, but it will obviously be different when I get out on the real thing."

Heikki Kovalainen: "Abu Dhabi is a great track and I like the fact we race in the fading light. I think it will be a good fight up at the front, and for us it's the end of a very long, but so far very rewarding season. Everyone in the team has done really well all year, pushing us along to where we are now, and this weekend is all about maintaining concentration and giving it one final effort before we start focusing entirely on next year. I'm excited about the race and I think we'll be in good shape to keep up the pressure on the guys around us."

Jarno Trulli: "It's the last race but for me it's still all about getting my car across the finish line with Heikki so we can tie up tenth place. The track isn't a huge challenge – it's not as rewarding to drive on as somewhere like Brazil, but we'll be ok there as our car should be pretty much as far ahead of those around us as we have been in the last few races."

Mike Gascoyne: "Down to the last race and I don't think we could be going there in any better shape. Abu Dhabi should be another track where we can take the fight to our nearest rivals, and all season long we have seen that the investment in experience throughout the whole team has held us in very good stead in our first season. You could see in Brazil that both Heikki and Jarno were able to pull away from Timo throughout the race, and that is down to excellent work all year by the team at the track and the factory, and in the two cockpits, and we are aiming for that to be repeated at the last race. The goal is obviously to finish tenth, and we would like to do that in the same style we have shown all season - by beating those around us, so everyone will be putting in one last big effort to repay the faith shown in us by our fans all year and everyone who has helped us reach this point of the season."

Tony Fernandes: "As we approach the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix I feel a great sense of accomplishment and delivery. In just one year we have delivered a team that has presented itself and behaved like one that has been racing for a long time. We made the bold decision to bring in two experienced drivers who have helped us push our way up as quickly as possible, on and off track, and from the earliest days of our team we have respected the heritage of Colin Chapman and his family and treated them both with the honour and style they deserve. It will be an incredible feeling to see the culmination of our first season back at another track where the Lotus Racing dream took shape. We came to the 2009 race, and while I hoped then that we would be where we are now, I could not have predicted we would have come quite as far as we have. Our future is extremely exciting. We have everything in place to take a big step forward next year, and I truly believe we have already exceeded our own expectations in our first season. For a team that had only five months to build our first car, as well as an entire race team and factory, we can hold up our heads up high to our fans, the Chapman family, the paddock fraternity and most importantly, to ourselves. There has been a huge amount of discussion about Lotus re-entering Formula One for the first time since 1994, but we spent this year looking ahead and not engaging in the talk about bringing the Lotus brand back. We went about our business in our own unassuming way, letting our actions speak louder than our words, and we will continue to do just that. We have a unique style and will always stay true to that as we move forward, up to the ultimate position of one day being World Champions."

An excellent end to the Brazilian Grand Prix saw Lotus Racing take one more step closer to tenth place in the 2010 Championship after Heikki Kovalainen finished 18th, just ahead of Jarno Trulli in 19th.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-03) 18th, fastest lap 1.17.161 - lap 69, 1 stop: "It was a good race, probably the best we could have hoped for in the conditions today. I made a good start and passed Timo straight away which put me in a good position for the rest of the afternoon. I enjoyed it out there – I had a good battle with Jarno and Timo for quite a lot of the race, and as we neared the end Jarno was very close so I had to make sure I didn't make any mistakes and we could get both cars home. The important thing today is that we are now one race away from tenth and that will be the goal next weekend in Abu Dhabi."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-02) 19th, fastest lap 1.17.316 - lap 69, 1 stop: "Another very positive result for the team and I'm really happy I got to the end of the race! I had yet another small hydraulic issue, but good work from the guys in the garage managed that, and towards the end of the race I was able to push Heikki and end up just behind him. I didn't have a great start, I had a lot of wheelspin but pretty soon I was able to attack Timo and just as I was shaping up to pass him he pitted and I came out ahead of him after the stops. After that I caught up with Heikki and we then had a pretty comfortable run to the end of the race."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "An excellent race for us after what has been a very good weekend. Congratulations to Red Bull for winning their first constructors' championship today, and for us it was a textbook race today. Heikki made a great start and went straight past Timo, and Jarno followed him past a few laps later. After that we were able to open a gap to our nearest rivals and maintain track position right to the end. It was a very professional race from the whole team and pushes us another step closer to tenth so we will be aiming to take that performance to Abu Dhabi and repeat it at the final race."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "Firstly my sincere congratulations to Red Bull Racing on securing the constructors' title today. They are a superb team, full of honest, professional people and we are very excited about working with them next year. They have set the standards Mike and his aero team must reach and that is an excellent challenge for him and our whole team. From our point of view I am very happy with the performance today. We looked a class team out there and the two car finish is just reward for the hard work this weekend and all year. Two flawless pitstops from the team in the garage showed that we have talent everywhere, and for a team that is still only a year old that is very impressive. What pleased me most is the fact that we kept pace with most of the cars in the middle of the pack, right up to the fifth place car who we were only just over a second away from in race pace. With all the steps we have taken to build such a solid foundation for our team next year we will be right in the mix with the established teams in 2011, but for today I want to say congratulations to the whole team. Now we focus on Abu Dhabi, the last race of the season and the one where I hope we secure tenth place."

Traffic played a big part in Lotus Racing's Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying session with both Jarno Trulli and, in particular, Heikki Kovalainen being unable to extract the maximum times out of their cars in the damp conditions. Jarno Trulli starts tomorrow's race in 20th place with Heikki Kovalainen just behind in 21st.

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-02) FP3: 18 laps, best time 1.22.326, 19th / QUALIFYING: 20th, 1.22.250, 14 laps "There was a lot of traffic out there because of the weather which meant I couldn't really put together my best lap. At the end I managed to get a decent time in but it felt like it was wetter than at the start of the session and obviously that meant I couldn't get ahead of Timo. Despite that the car has felt good all weekend in the wet and the dry conditions, and I think tomorrow we'll be strong. We kept a dry setup on the car today and that should put us in a good position for the race."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-03) FP3: 20 laps, best time 1.22.874, 21st / QUALIFYING: 21st, 1.22.378, 14 laps "That was a disappointing session for me. I was held up by traffic each time I went for a quick run and definitely didn't get the most out of the car, but I think we'll be ok tomorrow. It's a short track here and it's pretty normal that traffic plays its part in qualifying but yesterday we worked hard on making sure we have a good setup for the race and it will be good to get back in the car tomorrow and show what we can do."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "A fascinating qualifying session but slightly disappointing for us. Both drivers lost their quickest laps to traffic and Heikki in particular was held up by Heidfeld on a couple of occasions. However, with the dry forecast for tomorrow and the performance of our car in dry conditions we will look to have a strong race and get both cars home across the finish line."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "Firstly I want to say congratulations to Nico for such an outstanding performance today. That is the first Williams pole since 2005 and the very first time AirAsia can celebrate a pole position - the whole team deserves every plaudit coming their way today and I am very proud to be part of the Williams dream. For Lotus Racing it was a decent job today from both Jarno and Heikki who were obviously held up by the traffic. It is still very pleasing that we keep taking the fight to our direct competitors even though we have been focusing on next year's car since back in July.

"It is also satisfying to see that all of the off-track attention that is being paid to the team has not distracted any of us from what is important. I will be making an official statement about the off-track situation in due course but for now we are focusing on being a professional race team that is gaining more experience with every lap and turning that into long-term success."

Brazil's FP1 and FP2 saw Lotus Racing enjoying one of their best Fridays of the season. Trouble-free sessions in the morning and the afternoon ended with Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen topping the new teams' time sheets in 19th and 20th places respectively.

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP1: 25 laps, best time 1.15.603, 19th / FP2: 47 laps, best time 1.14.984, 19th "That was a pretty good day. It's good to complete so many laps and have no problems at all. When the car feels well balanced, like it did today, you can push around the whole lap and end up where we did, ahead of the other new guys. I have to say this is one of my favourite tracks. It's very technical and I think it suits my style well. We've made a few changes to the setup for this weekend and that's given me more confidence in the car – I think you can see the results of that in my laptimes, and I think there's more to come tomorrow."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP1: 26 laps, best time 1.16.057, 21st / FP2: 43 laps, best time 1.15.101, 20th "It was a good day for us. It started well, with the confirmation of the Renault engines next year, and then on track we got through the whole programme with no problems. The car felt good on both types of tyres and with the different fuel loads and when you compare our times with our direct competitors I think we're looking very strong. I really like this circuit – it's been evolving all day and it's a good challenge to find the right setup to cope with the high speed and the low speed sections. When you have a good day like we have had today it's a very rewarding circuit to drive."

Dieter Gass, Sporting Director: "We are all pleased with the performance of both cars today. There is obviously more work to do tonight, and I think there is still more to come from the cars, but the real variable will be the weather tomorrow. The forecasts are looking very interesting and it will be a good challenge for the drivers, the mechanics and the engineers to capitalise on any opportunities that arise on track tomorrow."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "It was a very successful day for us, perhaps one of the best Fridays of the year. Both cars ran without any problems and the performance looks good on the short and the long runs. We ended up exactly where we wanted to be, and we are maybe looking slightly more competitive with the midfield than we have been. On the whole this was a very good Friday."

Tony Fernandes: "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. The combination of the Renault engine and the Red Bull Technology gearbox and hydraulics gives our design and aero teams a successful, tried and tested platform to work with for next year's car. 2010 has been all about building up our team from scratch and in just one year we have laid the foundations for many exciting seasons to come and the partnership with Renault will dramatically accelerate our development plans, both on and off track. That is an important point – we have started a partnership with Renault and, much like taking on experienced drivers in our first year, we will be working with people who know how to win and who will help push us even further forward towards the front of the grid. We are realistic – we know what needs to be done to be challenging for ultimate honours in Formula One™ and this partnership will play a very important role in helping us push ahead."

Mike Gascoyne: "Today's announcement is the latest confirmation of how far this team wants to go in Formula One™. 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."

Riad Asmat: "This is a very big day for everyone in our team, in Malaysia and in the UK. Just over a year ago there were four people in an empty factory, and now we have announced an engine partnership with Renault, one of the most successful manufacturers in our sport's history, a gearbox and hydraulics deal with Red Bull Technology and the start of the process of building our own wind tunnel at the factory in Hingham. We have come such a long way in a very short period, and today's announcement will give the whole team even more enthusiasm for the challenges that lay ahead."

Round 18 of the FIA Formula One™ World Championship sees the pack head to Brazil for the only South American leg of the season and one of the sport's classic venues; Sao Paulo. The punishing end-of-season calendar sees the Brazil race back to back with the season-ending event in Abu Dhabi, but before heading to the Middle-East Lotus Racing is looking to take another step closer to securing its place as the best of the 2010 new teams at the technical Brazilian circuit.

Heikki Kovalainen "We had another good result in Korea and we'll be looking to carry that form through to Brazil and Abu Dhabi. The Sao Paulo circuit is a good challenge. There's quite a few overtaking points, and a few different lines into some of the corners so you'll see people attacking each other throughout the whole lap, and particularly at turn one. At the start of the race that corner is pretty critical and there's always a few guys taking different lines through there. Some go high, some low, but the main thing to think about is that when there are five cars going through there together you've just got to do whatever you can to make sure you fit through the gaps and come out unscathed.

"It's a pretty hardcore end to the season and I'll make sure I'm properly prepared by resting a bit and then I'll do enough training to adjust to the time changes, flight times and the races themselves. To be honest, it's easier for me than it is for many other people in the team. The last couple of races require a massive push from everyone to setup the garages, go racing and then pack up everything and relocate to Abu Dhabi. By the end of the season we will have all earned some time off, but we have to make sure we stay focused on securing tenth place, and for the next couple of races that's what it's all about."

Jarno Trulli "I'm heading to the USA for a few days to try and acclimatise to the time change, relax and do a bit of training in preparation for the last two races. Brazil is a good circuit to drive on, it's one of my favourite tracks. I've always enjoyed myself there and the atmosphere is great, but it's not a place where I've had a great deal of luck in the races, so hopefully that will change this year. The start is crucial, but if you can get through that without any problems, the rest of the lap is pretty rewarding. There's none of the long straight / first gear hairpins that you have on quite a few of the modern tracks, so you can get into a good rhythm and really lean on the car into the corners. My best result there was fourth in 2000, and while I know repeating that is obviously unlikely, our goal will be to get both cars across the finish line and go to Abu Dhabi still as the best of the new teams."

Mike Gascoyne "Korea was another good result for us and now we are looking to take that performance through to Brazil. We have two races left this year, and while it will be a pretty tough two weeks for the whole team, it is the same for everyone in the pitlane and we have the experience and the determination to make sure we are in the right position to capitalise on whatever opportunities arise on track. It has been very satisfying this season to see that we have taken full advantage of all the races where there have been a high number of incidents, like Japan and Korea, and that is down to good people working effectively on the pitwall, in the garages and in the cars, and we will make sure we do not let that slip in Brazil or Abu Dhabi."

Tony Fernandes "I left Korea on an absolute high. It was an amazing race and it was crucial that we took advantage of the high attrition rate to finish as high as we did. Jarno had put in a very strong performance on Friday and Saturday, particularly in qualifying where he put in a great lap to beat Timo, but his run of bad luck struck again in the race and he did not have the chance to show what he could do. Heikki had an eventful race, and performed brilliantly to take 13th place, and performances like that, and from the whole team all weekend, have helped us consolidate our position as best of the new teams throughout the season.

"Unfortunately I will not be in Brazil, but I will be watching every second of the race weekend from home. With Abu Dhabi straight afterwards, and a long journey between the two, it will be a hard couple of weeks for everyone in the team, but they are all determined to keep up their concentration levels and workrate to make sure we finish the season on a high. Throughout the year I have seen what a talented, dedicated team we have in Lotus Racing, and that gives me the confidence to know we are in the best possible position to achieve our goals in 2010, and give us the platform to take a step up next year and in seasons beyond."

An historic race in Korea came to an end in the dark with Lotus Racing's Heikki Kovalainen taking advantage of an incident packed race to finish in 13th place. Team mate Jarno Trulli's race again came to an early conclusion with hydraulic issues on lap 25, but the team now head to Brazil still at the head of the new teams after some excellent work on and off track all weekend.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-03) 13th, fastest lap 1.55.018 - lap 43: "It was another excellent result for the team today. In tricky conditions like that with people making mistakes, we could have seen our tenth position under threat, but we were there at the end and that is what counts. I really enjoyed the race, and didn't really have any problems that we couldn't deal with – the team made the right calls throughout and that put us in a strong position at the end of the race. It was obviously pretty dark when we finished, but that was the same for everyone. Now we head to Brazil and we have two more races to secure our place as the best of the new teams this year."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-02) DNF, fastest lap 2.05.161 - lap 20: "It was a disappointing day but I'm pleased that the team has taken another step towards tenth. I felt that there was a possible hydraulics problem when we were behind the safety car as the power steering was starting to feel very heavy. I really struggled to turn in at the first corner and had a spin, and despite the team trying to get me back out it was all over."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "First of all it was great that we could go racing and give all the Korean fans and everyone who has put so much effort into making this race happen the show they wanted to see. They were rewarded with an historic event, with the race finishing in the dark and some excellent action up and down the field. For us it was a day of mixed fortunes – a great finish once again as best of the new teams and Heikki drove a great race in the very tricky conditions, but disappointing for Jarno that he suffered another hydraulic issue that brought his race to an early end. But overall a great weekend for us. We qualified and finished as best of the new teams and maintained our tenth place, which was always our main goal."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "That was extremely tense for me. Of all the 17 races we have had this season, that was by far the most nerve wracking, and I feel like I was put through the ringer throughout the whole afternoon. Today shows the true mettle of this team. Heikki drove a fantastic race, and even though he also had a possible hydraulic issue with about 20 laps to go, he battled through that, and a superb performance from the race team kept him out there to make sure he was on track at the end of the race to take 13th. We are edging ever closer to that tenth place, and even though Jarno suffered more hydraulic problems, we have taken steps to change that for next year, and it is experiences like today that will stand us in good stead for next season and beyond."

Lotus Racing has today confirmed the ambitious next stage in laying the foundations for the Anglo-Malaysian squad's long-term success in the highest echelons of global motorsport, with the announcement that the team will soon be starting work on the design and build of a dedicated wind-tunnel facility at its Hingham (UK) base. In addition, Lotus Racing and Team AirAsia (competing in the 2011 GP2 series) will be expanding operations at the existing factory site to take over a further two units, giving Team AirAsia a permanent home alongside the growing Lotus Racing F1™ operation.

Mike Gascoyne, Lotus Racing Chief Technical Officer, gave his thoughts on the exciting developments in the growth of the team, saying "To compete at the highest level in Formula One™ it is important to have all of the key elements involved in the design, manufacturing, testing and development of our cars under our direct control and on the same site. Today's announcement about the wind tunnel, which will be combined with additional production, office and administrative elements, gives us both the facility we need to lay the foundations for long-term success and is a clear sign that we are very serious about competing at the sharp end of the grid as quickly as we can.

"We have already achieved a phenomenal rate of growth for the team, and now have all the main functions in place to take the next step up, but I think it is important to also see that we are using our budget effectively, and focusing expenditure where it counts. Investing in our own wind-tunnel, to work alongside our substantial in-house CFD facility, is a key element in establishing complete control of one of the most important aspects of the design and manufacturing process in our sport, and it is clear to see that this sort of investment points towards a very bright future for the team."

Kamarudin Meranun, Deputy Team Principal, is delighted with the progress Lotus Racing and Team AirAsia are both making, on and off track "We are very serious about not only competing at the highest level on the global motorsport stage, but also having the infrastructure in place for sustained future success. Having our own wind tunnel, and a permanent base for Team AirAsia right next door to Lotus Racing, gives us the opportunity to attract the best talent from around the world to join us in making our dream come true, and puts us on a par with some of the most famous, established names in motor racing. There is one key point to note, and that is that we are lean and focused, and are using the experience of our senior management to make sure our resources are directed into areas that provide positive, quantifiable returns. This is the key to long-term success, and we are going about it in the right way."

Tony Fernandes, Lotus Racing Team Principal, echoed Din and Mike's thoughts on the exciting new developments for both Team AirAsia and its elder brothers at Lotus Racing, saying "Just over a year ago there were four people in the factory in Hingham, a team working in Cologne on the design of this year's car, and a third group working in Italy on our aero programme. We have reached where we are today because of the hard work all of those people, and those who have joined us since, put in in the early days, and I want to thank them for helping us get to where we are today. Now it is about the future, and today's announcement shows just how serious we are about taking the next crucial step in the continuing development of both Lotus Racing and Team AirAsia. My fellow shareholders Din, Nasa and I see the expansion of our base as not only the very best home for both teams, but also as the inspiration for future talent from around the world to follow their dreams and join us to compete at the highest level. One day very soon, we see our cars in Formula One™ and GP2 being designed, built and raced by teams of people from Malaysia, Europe, South East Asia and from around the world. This is a very exciting time for our teams, and the dream is growing bigger every single day."

Saturday at the Korean Grand Prix began with a trouble free third practice session for Lotus Racing with the good news continuing into the afternoon when Jarno Trulli finished at the head of the other new teams in 19th place, with team mate Heikki Kovalainen behind him in 21st.

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-02) FP3: 15 laps, best time 1.41.623, 19th / QUALIFYING: 19th, 1.40.521, 10 laps "I'm happy with how it has gone today and I think my final lap was pretty good. The track was very dusty again in both sessions today, and that obviously affects the tyres, but I think we did as well as we could have hoped for this afternoon. I want to say thank you to my mechanics again because they have been working really hard all weekend – it has been a bit of a tough couple of days so far, because the bad luck I had yesterday limited my track time, and it's thanks to the guys in the garage that I've managed to get in enough running time to set me up for that quick lap today."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-03) FP3: 19 laps, best time 1.42.095, 21st / QUALIFYING: 21st, 1.41.768, 9 laps "I'm pretty disappointed with how it went today. We were looking ok this morning but I think the strategy this afternoon didn't give me a great chance to go any quicker – the traffic obviously played its part, and when you're trying to push on a dirty track it's always going to be a struggle. But we're here to fight tomorrow, and as the grip levels evolve I think our car will become stronger, so there's all to play for in the race."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "I'm reasonably happy with the qualifying today, although it's a little disappointing that the tactics in qualifying, and the traffic, played their part in denying Heikki a clear run at a quick time. Jarno produced a very good lap to finish the best of the new teams on his final run, and I think that these grid positions give us a good chance of having a strong race tomorrow."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "A pretty good day for us, and seeing Jarno put in such a good lap at the end of Q1 after a slightly difficult weekend on his side of the garage shows exactly what he and his pitcrew are made of. We made a mistake with Heikki's strategy, and that prevented him from being able to get closer to Jarno, but a good job by both drivers, and the whole team, to keep us ahead of our nearest competitors.

"From a team perspective, it has been very pleasing to see what a great event the race organisers have put on here in Korea. We were never in any doubt that Korea would pull something special out of the bag for us, and from the moment the cars first went out on track yesterday, the welcome Lotus Racing and the whole F1™ fraternity has had here has been outstanding. It was particularly good to see a couple of very dedicated Lotus Racing fans waving our flag in the stands, and the Korean media have given us some excellent coverage, so I think we will leave here having gained another army of new fans. We will do our best to reward them with a strong performance in tomorrow's race."