Lotus Racing's Heikki Kovalainen officially christened the Yeongam Circuit in Korea when he was the first car on track in today's FP1 at the inaugural Korean Grand Prix. A good day on track for the Anglo-Malaysian team saw Heikki and Jarno Trulli finish 19th and 20th respectively, top of the new team charts having completed a total of 81 laps between them.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-03) FP1: 22 laps, best time 1.47.115, 21st / FP2: 29 laps, best time 1.42.773, 19th "Today was good for me. I want to say thanks to the race organisers first for having done such a good job to make sure everything was ready for us, particularly when you bear in mind some of the concerns people had about the event, and it was great to see so many fans in the stands on a Friday – I think this very looks good for this weekend and for future races here.

"On track we had a good day. We found a clear direction for the setup and our pace is strong compared to our direct competitors, so I think we're in good shape. I enjoyed the day's work – the high speed section at the beginning of the second sector is pretty cool, and there are some pretty challenging corners in the third sector. I think you'll see some overtaking in sector one where you have the long straights and tight corners, so while it's not too tough through there, I think it will provide some action. We're all going to have to be careful around the pitlane entrance as it's a bit tight around there, with cars on quick laps having to keep a close eye on the guys slowing down to go into the pitlane, but I'm sure we'll handle it ok."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP1: 11 laps, best time 1.51.701, 24th / FP2: 19 laps, best time 1.42.801, 20th "That was a pretty hard day for me – it does feel like quite a few of the things that could have gone wrong did go wrong, but the mechanics did a great job to repair the gearbox twice and make sure I could get a relatively decent number of laps completed. I learnt the circuit pretty quickly, and on the options the car felt good as the track surface developed, which helped me to improve my times lap after lap.

"Overall I think this is a good circuit. I need to do some more running to really find where I can push, and we'll do some more work tonight to look at the setup for tomorrow and Sunday, so I think we'll be ok."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "An interesting Friday and obviously it's always a good challenge when you come to a new track. As expected it was very slippery early on, and the large track evolution has made evaluating the tyres and setup changes very difficult, but we're pleased with where we have ended up. On Jarno's side of the garage we had a couple of gearboxes issues which limited his running today, so he did very well to get as close to Heikki's laptime as he did in the closing stages of FP2. Heikki had a trouble free day and it's again pleasing to see that we finished ahead of our nearest rivals at the end of FP2. Overall today has been much as we had expected it would be, and I want to say well done to the circuit organisers for making sure that everything was ready in time for us to go to work today. I think we have a good weekend ahead of us."

Riad Asmat, Chief Executive Officer: "I think we're all pretty pleased with how today went. It's obviously great to be in a new country, and the whole Lotus Racing team has been given a warm welcome here, so we will do our best to put on a good show for the fans on track, and make sure we leave Korea having shown what Lotus Racing is all about. One of the most important aspects of today was the fact that none of the problems people were worried about before the race came to light. The track itself was slippery, as we all knew it would be, but that will come good, and the facilities here are great. There were more fans at the track today than we see at quite a few other races around the world, so I think this was a very good first day for the Korean Grand Prix."

Next stop South Korea. Marking another first in F1™ history, the 2010 Championship now moves to the brand new Yeongam circuit for round 17 of the 2010 FIA Formula One™ World Championship. Lotus Racing head to the recently finished track in buoyant mood, having recorded their best ever finish at last weekend's Japanese Grand Prix when Heikki Kovalainen brought his T127 home 12th, with teammate Jarno Trulli just behind in 13th.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-03): "I left Suzuka on Monday morning still buzzing after such a great race. I said then that the car was just fantastic to drive, and all drivers pray for days like that – it meant so much to the whole team, and our fans, for us to go one better than we did in Australia. That sort of result gives us a huge boost as the season draws towards the end, particularly because we were so far ahead of both Virgins – while they have kept updating their car at each race, we've been working on 2011 and haven't updated our car since Silverstone, so to stay that far ahead is a major result.

"I'm looking forward to Korea. It's new for all of us, and while I've had a bit of a look at the layout, the first couple of laps will be all about finding the right lines, and then we will focus on setups. To be honest, it won't take long to get to grips with the track and I think the car will be ok there. It's a pretty typical modern circuit - a couple of long straights with heavy braking at the end, and then a mix of a few tighter corners and a couple more quicker ones, so we should be about where we were in Japan. If I get another set of tyres like my second set in Suzuka it'll be great, but whatever happens, we're closer to tenth in the Championship now, and that's what it's all about."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127 – 04): "I really enjoyed Japan but it was good to get home! The whole team performed really well over the weekend, and we took a big step towards the end goal of tenth, so everyone left happy.

"Korea looks pretty good – Some drivers use simulators or even games to take a look at the lines, but I usually find my way around a new venue by running a few laps of the track on the Thursday. It's a good way to work out the stresses of the plane journey, and you get a view of where the braking and turn-in points are. Whatever happens, after a couple of laps I'll know my way around and where I can push, so it doesn't take long to acclimatise."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "Looking back to Japan, we could not really have had a better weekend. I think both Jarno and Heikki managed to extract every bit of performance they could from the cars, and that showed in our advantage over our nearest rivals in qualifying and in the race. We made a couple of announcements before the race about next year that showed how ambitious we really are, and there are more to come, but for now we go to Korea in a very positive frame of mind.

"It is always a bit of a step into the unknown when you go to a new venue, but we have completed a number of simulation programs at the factory that have given us a pretty good idea of how the car will behave on track. The big unknowns are what downforce levels to run, and how the track surface will stand up to the rigours of a full race weekend. We will find the right setup over the weekend, and any track issues are out of our control - it has been passed by the FIA so we will just go there and do our best. If there are any problems, it will be the same for everyone, so we cannot waste time worrying about what might happen – we will just focus on bringing both cars home in the race and taking another step closer to the end of the season."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "I am still smiling from what happened in Japan. The whole team deserved a result like that, and we were able to capitalise on what was a pretty crazy race by being in the right place at the right time. That was down to having experienced drivers who kept out of trouble on track and drove brilliantly all weekend, a team on the pitwall who made the right calls to give us the chance to grab 12th and 13th, and guys in the garage who put in the hard work to help us stay well ahead of our competition – all in all it was a fantastic team effort."

Suzuka, Japan 10th October 2010 12th and 13th places for Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli respectively are Lotus Racing's best race finishes of the 2010 season so far. Both drivers put in very strong performances throughout an action packed race, and the whole team is absolutely delighted to have taken such a significant step towards the ultimate goal of securing tenth place in the FIA Formula One™ World Championship. The morning's qualifying session had also gone very well, with Jarno lining up 19th and Heikki 20th, nearly a second ahead of the Virgin cars, and the double race finish is an excellent reward for the team's hard work, on and off track.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-03) 12th: "It was a wicked race, really absolutely fantastic for me, Jarno and the whole team. We decided to start with the soft tyre, which was a little bit of a gamble, and then stayed out during the safety car. The target was to build up enough of a gap to allow me to pit without losing places to the guys behind and we did that, though it was very close with Jarno when I came out. On the harder tyre the car just felt brilliant - I had a huge amount of grip from the second set and it was a lot of fun to push for the rest of the race. Our pace was amazing – we were only lapped once and at this kind of circuit, where we needed to perform, we could not have done any more. An amazing day for the whole team, and now we're another big step closer to that tenth place, which is obviously the main aim of the whole season."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) 13th: "What a great day for the whole team, just fantastic. I'm really pleased for everyone with the result, and congratulations to Heikki as well on a great race. I had a really good start and came in under the safety car to switch to the primes. I came out behind Yamamoto and immediately attacked him – I got past him pretty quick and then went after Heikki. We both had a strong run to the end, and even though I had another hydraulics issue in the last couple of laps, I managed to get the car home which was obviously the main objective."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "A really fantastic result for the team today. 12th and 13th places are our best positions of the season so far, and I'm delighted for everyone that we had such strong performances from both cars today. Qualifying went very well this morning – we were just under a second ahead of the other new teams, and we carried that through to the afternoon. We had always planned to stop just one car if there was an early safety car, and that was the car ahead. When the safety car came out Jarno was in front so we pulled him in and put him on the primes. Unfortunately it took him a few laps to pass Yamamoto, and that really hurt his race strategy, and that, combined with the blue flags, meant Heikki stayed ahead of him on track. Despite that, it was a great race from both drivers. We had a small hydraulics issue on Jarno's car at the end, but it didn't slow him down and he was able to maintain 13th place. I want to say congratulations to the whole team for such a strong performance all weekend – this really was a job well done."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal (from Sepang, Malaysia): "I am absolutely delighted, just so pleased for the whole team. The result today is a tremendous response to the negativity that we have been dealing with off-track over the last week or so. This is the best ever result in the as yet very short life of Lotus Racing, and 12th and 13th far exceeds any of the expectations I had at the start of the season. The future for our team is so bright, and the decisions we have been making recently are giving us an incredible platform from which to build on days like this. Thank you Mike, Heikki, Jarno, Riad and everyone – it was an amazing feeling watching them all on TV and keeping up with the race on my iPad – I actually watched the end of the race whilst doing a press conference with Fahmi, another star in the making, from Sepang in Malaysia, and it was a very special feeling to be able to share the end of the race with everyone in our other home. This is a big, big day for us – we let our actions speak louder than our words, and that is what makes us who we are. We are a team with passion and integrity, and we conduct our business in the right way. As I always say - 'believe the unbelievable' – we did that today and look at what we have achieved."

After qualifying was postponed until Sunday in Japan due to the torrential rain, Lotus Racing has nothing to announce for the first time in several weeks.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) "Nothing to say."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) "Nothing to report."

Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne: "Nothing from me."

Riad Asmat, Chief Executive Officer "Nothing from me either."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01)

FP1: 25 laps; 19th place; best time 1.36.949; best sector times S1 34.882 (19th), S2 43.606 (19th), S3 18.421 (20th)

FP2: 37 laps, 19th place, best time 1.36.095; best sector times S1 34.590 (20th), S2 43.181 (19th), S3 18.263 (19th)

"I think we've got to be pretty pleased with today. We ran through the whole programme and even though we can't find the same grip levels as the guys ahead, I think we achieved what we set out to today. The battle with the guys around us is now really tight, and that's excellent, for us in the team as it keeps us focused, and for the fans as they have something to keep them on the edge of their seats. Obviously nearly all the effort back at the factory is on next year, so it's good that we can keep ahead of Timo and Lucas, and I think for the rest of the weekend it will be a really good fight between us."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04)

FP1: 23 laps, 21st place, best time 1.37.388; best sector times S1 35.045 (21st), S2 43.732 (20th), S3 18.363 (19th)

FP2: 33 laps, 20th place, best time 1.36.333; best sector times S1 34.556 (19th), S2 43.257 (20th), S3 18.520 (23rd)

"It's always good being in Japan. I have some fantastic support here, and it's great to be here for the first time with Lotus Racing. It's easy to see what we mean to the fans, and next year will be even better for them, in so many ways for the whole team. Today we completed a good number of laps but I haven't been particularly happy with the grip levels and balance, in either session. I think there's a lot more to come from the car tomorrow, and with some more work tonight we should be able to find more time and more performance tomorrow."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "Today was the first day of running for us since the very sad news of Peter Warr's passing. This weekend we want to pay tribute to Peter who contributed so much to the Team Lotus legend. He paid us the privilege of being our guest at the first race this season in Bahrain and our thoughts will be with his family for the whole weekend.

"On the track it was a good day for us. We had a solid session with both cars, running a normal Friday programme and we had decent pace and no reliability issues at all. We managed to complete as many laps as possible as obviously the forecast tomorrow is for a lot of rain, so this will be the only dry running we will have all weekend."

Riad Asmat, Chief Executive Officer: "I'd like to add my thoughts, and those of the whole team, to Peter Warr's family on the sad news we received as we arrived in Japan. He was an inspiration to all of us, and long may his memory remain.

"We're all pleased with the day's work – it was good to see both cars complete a lot of mileage and maintain our position ahead of both other new teams, and it was also good to turn our attention back to the track after a very busy couple of weeks for the whole team. We have a huge amount of support around the world, particularly in Malaysia, across Asia and in the UK, and we have had some amazing feedback to the news that we will be running Red Bull gearboxes and hydraulics next year – we'll continue to do our best in 2010 to make all our fans and partners proud, and I think today we did just that."

The leading new team in the 2010 FIA Formula One™ World Championship, the Lotus Racing Formula One™ (F1™) team, has signed a global representation agreement with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), an entertainment and sports agency.

Lotus Racing is laying the foundation for long-term success in the global phenomenon that is F1™, taking the challenge to established teams currently ahead of the Anglo-Malaysian squad.

CAA Marketing, a division of CAA, will develop and implement new marketing strategies for Lotus Racing; promote the F1™ team in America and around the world; and create innovative programmes for team partners to build upon the extensive reach of the sport to market their brands globally. Lotus Racing will also benefit from the expertise and experience of CAA affiliate Evolution Media Capital (EMC), an investment banking firm for the sports and media industries. EMC will advise on the acquisition and structuring of new businesses that would benefit from an affiliation with Lotus Racing and F1™, the world's most popular annual sports competition.

Tony Fernandes, Lotus Racing Team Principal gave his thoughts on this exciting new development for the team: "Firstly, I want to welcome CAA to the Lotus Racing family. It's a real honour that the CAA team has seen what a fantastic opportunity we have to do some extraordinary work together, and I know that exciting times lie ahead for us, on and off track. I come from an entertainment background, so I know that the depth of experience, knowledge, creative talent and passion that CAA will bring to our team will help us in our bid to broaden the appeal of our sport, for fans, and for brands. This deal is certain to make a few people sit up and take notice, as it shows we are not looking at the traditional sports marketing model – we want to break new ground, and with CAA, we will."

Recognized for its innovative approach to brand-building, Lotus Racing's highly-active use of social media, which is unprecedented in F1™, gives fans, team partners, and media an exclusive inside look at the team, its factory, and drivers.

"Lotus Racing is employing cutting-edge marketing strategies that leverage the massive audience and reach of F1™ to garner awareness for the team and its sponsors," said Jae Goodman, Co-Head and Chief Creative Officer, CAA Marketing. "We will work closely with Tony and Deputy Team Principal SM Nasarudin to continue in that spirit of innovation by developing opportunities that go beyond stickers and hospitality to create critical exposure and new value for brand partners."

"It is our goal to build upon the entrepreneurial spirit that Tony has brought to companies like AirAsia and Tune Group to create new businesses that capitalize on the Lotus Racing brand and the global platform of F1™ racing," said Rick Hess of EMC.

About Evolution Media Capital

Led by the former team at Merrill Lynch's Media and Sports Structured Finance Group, Evolution Media Capital, LLC (EMC) is an investment banking firm for the media and sports industries. Formed in June 2008 as a partnership with Creative Artists Agency, EMC offers investment advisory, asset management, industry research, and capital-raising services.

About Creative Artists Agency

Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is a full-service talent agency, representing many of the most successful professionals working in film, television, music, sports, video games, theatre, and the Internet, and provides a range of strategic marketing and consulting services to corporate clients. CAA is also a leader in sports, representing more than 650 of the world's top athletes, coaches, and broadcasters in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, and golf, and works in the areas of broadcast rights, corporate marketing initiatives, licensing, and sports properties for sales/sponsorship opportunities. In addition, The Intelligence Group, a market research and trend forecasting company, is a division of CAA.

About Lotus Racing

Team Principal Tony Fernandes and fellow shareholders Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin led a consortium of Malaysian business interests in 2009 who joined forces to provide initial funding for the nascent Lotus Racing team under the new parent company banner, 1Malaysia Racing. Lotus Racing was granted entry into the 2010 FIA Formula One™ World Championship on September 12, 2009, and under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Riad Asmat and Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne, is currently placed 10th in the World Championship. The team is headquartered in Hingham, Norfolk.

Lotus Racing has today announced that the Anglo-Malaysian squad has agreed a deal with Red Bull Technology for the supply of gearboxes and hydraulic systems from the 2011 season and beyond. The announcement marks the next critical building block in the process of stepping up the team's challenge for honours in the FIA Formula One™ World Championship and is a major statement of intent about their future aspirations.

Mike Gascoyne, Lotus Racing Chief Technical Officer: "The announcement that we have reached a multi-year agreement with Red Bull Technology for the supply of our gearboxes and hydraulics from 2011 is obviously a massive step forward for us, both in engineering terms, and as an expression of our ambitions for next year and for future Championships. The gearbox / hydraulics package obviously plays a critical role in the performance of the car, not just on track but in design and packaging terms, and this deal gives our design and aero teams a very exciting platform to work with. The removal of the double diffusers in 2011 will allow the whole grid to tighten up the rear bodywork and mechanical structures around the gearbox, and this supply deal will allow us to capitalise on that with our 2011 car. Exciting times lie ahead!"

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing Team Principal added his thoughts: "We are very pleased about Lotus Racing's decision to use Red Bull Technology gearboxes and hydraulic systems from 2011. The fact that Red Bull Technology has been chosen to be a supplier to another team despite its short history demonstrates how much we have achieved since our first season. We very much look forward to working with Lotus Racing from 2011 onwards."

Tony Fernandes, Lotus Racing Team Principal: "Din, Nasa, the whole team and I are absolutely delighted to be able to announce our gearbox and hydraulics partnership with Red Bull Technology. It is a real statement of our intention to challenge for Formula One™ honours as soon as we can that we have reached this agreement and we are very excited about integrating the package into our 2011 car. I think people in and out of the sport are going to be following our progress even more closely now we have taken this incredibly important and ambitious step, and it makes next year even more exciting. The Lotus Racing dream grows bigger every day!"

Next stop Japan and the world famous Suzuka circuit. Loved by drivers, fans and racing gamers around the world, Suzuka is one of the classic Grand Prix venues. Over the years the track has played host to some of the most famous races in Formula One™ history, and is home to the legendary Spoon Curve and 130R, two of the most challenging corners in the race calendar today. Lotus Racing heads to Japan looking to consolidate its position as the best of the new teams at a track that rewards experience, endeavour and guts – three attributes that team drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli have demonstrated all season.

Heikki Kovalainen, who will be in Chassis T127-03 after T127-01 went back to the UK to be checked and cleaned up: "First I want to thank the boys at Williams for their help with the little incident that brought my Singapore GP to an end. I've had an amazing response to putting out the fire, and while it was clearly the best way to stop what would have been a very dangerous situation, if I'd come into the pits, it was a pretty spectacular end to a great race. We were racing Michael and Sebastien for position, and made the right call to fight them as hard as we could. It didn't pay off this time, but not taking the easy option of just getting the car home shows what we're made of, and that's a very good feeling.

"After the race the whole team flew into Kuala Lumpur in a team-branded AirAsia plane. That was pretty cool – getting on board an aircraft with my race number at the back, and all the seats in green and yellow - it shows just how dedicated AirAsia are to our team, and it was an awesome feeling taking off and landing back at the team's other home in KL. I had a couple of days staying with our Chief Exec and managed to get some golf in, and then went for a few days of relaxation before making the trip to Japan. I love Japan – it's a bit mad, but in a really good way. The fans are pretty hardcore – they know more about the drivers than we do, and the track itself is obviously great to race on. I think we'll do pretty well there. It's quick, and you need a good rhythm to get the best lap times, but experience and concentration play a big part, and I can't wait to get back in the car."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04): "After what had been a very busy Singapore race I joined the team for the flight to KL before heading back to Europe. Seeing how everyone responded to 'our' plane was really cool. It's the sort of thing that makes the guys in the team very proud and seeing how excited all the AirAsia staff were about seeing us on board was very special.

"Coming back to Japan is something I'm looking forward to. I really like the track and last year was on the podium in second place. I know we won't be repeating that this year, but I think we'll be ok. Everyone in the team is pumped up for the final few races, and we want to focus on beating our nearest rivals. We're in a good fight, and the fans are being given some great action to keep an eye on further down the grid, so we'll do our best to reward them."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "Suzuka is a classic race venue, one that really brings out the best in the car and the drivers. The team have had a bit of time off to recharge their batteries since Singapore, and I think they'll get to Japan ready to get straight back to work and help us secure tenth place. As most of the efforts back at the factory have now been focused on the 2011 car for several months, we won't be bringing any new updates to Japan, but it's obviously good to see that even though our direct rivals are continuing to update their cars, we can still take the fight to them. Singapore was a great battle, and had Heikki not had to do his fireman act, we would have finished comfortably ahead of Virgin. We want to continue that next weekend and we're aiming to put on as strong a performance at Suzuka as we did in Singapore."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "I'm just about over the excitement of the Singapore race! Seeing Heikki stay so cool under pressure really drove it home to me just how tough the drivers are – first making the decision to fight Michael and Buemi, and not let them pass just to bring the car home, lifted the spirits of everyone in the team after what had been a very long, hot weekend. Then having the clarity of thought to pull over in the right place, get out and sort out the problem - I think that gained him a whole new level of respect and it's that fighting spirit that we love. Maybe less of the fire fighting in future, but not one bit less of the aggression.

"This has already been an incredible season, and it is a credit to everyone in our team that there is so much interest around the world in our future. We have achieved so much in one year, and, while nothing in life worth having is easy, when we savour victory the taste will be that much sweeter. For every single person who has given us support, praise and encouragement we thank you. We will leave no stone unturned to be the best."

In a bid to alleviate the public confusion surrounding the ongoing matter between Lotus Racing and Proton / Group Lotus, Lotus Racing shareholder and Deputy Team Principal Dato' Kamarudin Meranun recently had the opportunity to meet Proton Adviser Tun Dr Mahathir. The meeting was to discuss the matter in person and agree a future course of action for Lotus Racing.

Lotus Racing believes it is acting within its own rights, and as a result of this meeting, the team will now refrain from making any further comments on the matter. This action is upon advice from Tun Dr Mahathir, and it is out of our respect for him that we will act upon his wishes as he has supported us since our inception, and his backing has been invaluable in our growth.

We are very grateful for having had the opportunity to put forth our case and have complete trust that a fair review will be made, and a decision on the matter will be announced in due course.

In a strong statement of intent about the aspirations of Lotus Racing, soon to become Team Lotus, an announcement has been made today that Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne has signed a five year deal, tying him to the Anglo / Malaysian squad until at least 2015.

Under Mike's technical direction, Lotus Racing has gone from confirmation of its entry to the 2010 FIA Formula One™ World Championship in September 2009 to its current position of tenth, and is now forging ahead with its 2011 car which will be raced under the Team Lotus name.

Mike Gascoyne "Having started the team from scratch with Tony it was always my intention to finish my career here, so it's great to have formally agreed a five year deal. I'd like to extend my sincere thanks to Tony, Din, Nasa, Riad and the whole team, and I'm extremely grateful to everyone involved in Lotus Racing for having the confidence to take this into a long-term contract. We've had a great start to our partnership together, and I'm looking forward to continuing that for the next five years, and even beyond that."

Team Principal Tony Fernandes couldn't hide his delight at securing a long-term deal with Mike, saying "Mike's five year deal is a major announcement for the whole Lotus Racing team. It shows just how serious we are, not only about how far ahead we are setting our aspirations, but also as a reward to Mike for the incredibly hard work he and the team have already put in to get us from literally four people back in September '09 to our current position as a serious F1™ player with a very bright future ahead of us. On a personal level, I've really enjoyed the last year that we've been working together, and I'm very excited about working with Mike for many years to come."

A fantastic Singapore Grand Prix ended in spectacular style for Lotus Racing's Heikki Kovalainen after he pulled over on the start / finish straight and put out a fire in his car by himself that brought to an end a battling drive under the Singapore lights. Jarno Trulli had suffered a hydraulics failure on lap 26, which ended his race after both he and Heikki had made very good starts and had been fighting in the midfield in 15th and 16th in the early laps. A double pitstop under the first safety car period on lap three gave them both strong track positions which they both held until Jarno's retirement, and Heikki's eventual race-ending fire.

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "The race tonight marks a major step forward for us. On the pitwall we were talking about beating Michael and Buemi in a straight fight on track, and we told Heikki to take the fight to them - not to take the conservative approach. If we'd taken the safer option maybe Heikki wouldn't have hit Buemi, but we're here to race, and that's what I mean about a big step forward. This is all part of our learning curve, but coming here and racing the Toro Rossos and Mercedes at the end of a pretty hardcore race is a sign of how far we've come. We'll take all these lessons into next year, and it can only help us be an even more potent force in 2011."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) 16th, fastest lap 1.53.051 - lap 53, 2 stops – laps 3, 34: "That was not quite how I thought my race would end! Until the fire, I was having a really strong run and the car had felt good throughout. We were looking good for 15th, but then I had a coming together with Buemi towards the end of the race. I spun the car to get back onto the track which I think cracked the fuel tank pressure release valve and it looks like that caused an airbox fire. I didn't want to come into the pits as it definitely wasn't safe enough to do so, and pulled over on the main straight. A couple of guys from Williams gave me an extinguisher, so I put the fire out on my own – I told Tony and Mike that they maybe need to pay me more as I'm now a fireman as well…"

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) DNF, fastest lap 1.56.386 - lap 20, 3 stops – laps 3, 6, 25: "I had a very good start and was running well with Heikki but then the problems started. I had a puncture just after the first safety car which brought me back in early, and then the hydraulic problems that have affected me quite a few times this season struck again. It's been a difficult weekend to be honest, but now we go to Suzuka which is a track I really look forward to, so hopefully I'll have some better luck there."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "It was a very eventful race and a real shame at the end to see Heikki's race brought to an end with the fire. Both cars made a great start and got themselves in front of the Virgins which is obviously what we wanted to do. We stopped them both during the first safety car lap, which seemed to be the right call, and the pitcrew did a great job to get them both turned around as quickly as they did. Unfortunately Jarno then picked up a puncture from some debris on track and then a hydraulics problem brought his race to an end. We tried to get him back out, but after having done so the problems started again straight away so he had to come back in.

"Heikki clearly had a pretty dramatic race. When the fire started he made the decision not to come into the pitlane for safety reasons, and did very well to put the fire out himself. Until that point he was having a fantastic race and we were looking forward to fighting with Michael and Buemi right to the end, but unfortunately the fire put paid to that. The main thing really is to say thanks to him for being brave enough to put it out, and be thankful that he's fine after what was a pretty spectacular end to his race. After such a good race performance from him and the whole team, we will take some real positives from this weekend, and look forward to the last four races."

Qualifying under the lights at the Singapore Grand Prix saw traffic play a big part in Q1, which ended with Lotus Racing drivers Heikki Kovalainen in 19th and Jarno Trulli 21st.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP3: 15 laps, best time 1.53.146, 20th / QUALIFYING: 19th, 1.50.915, 9 laps "Qualifying today was quite difficult to be honest. The traffic made it really tricky as there were cars on slow laps when I was on a quick one, and I think I missed my best opportunity on the second set of tyres which were brand new. I gave it my best shot, and I think the last lap was about as good as I could have done today, so at least I split the Virgins and got pretty close to Timo. It's still game on for tomorrow, and I think we're in good shape for the race, so we'll see what happens."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP3: 17 laps, best time 1.53.681, 22nd / QUALIFYING: 21st, 1.51.641, 10 laps "I'm pretty disappointed with how it went tonight. This morning's practice was pretty good but on the first run in qualifying on the options I couldn't find any real grip so I switched to the primes. I think I got the most out of the car I could by the end of Q1 - braking obviously plays a big role here, and I've been struggling with the rear end locking all weekend, so I hope it improves tomorrow."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "A pretty disappointing qualifying session today. Jarno has not been happy with the balance on the tyres all weekend and that carried through to qualifying. Heikki was generally happier on the option tyre but unfortunately he was held up on what would have been his quickest lap. Despite that I think the race pace of the car is strong and we look forward to a better performance in the race tomorrow."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "I don't think we got the best out the car today, but it is what it is. Honestly, I'm reasonably happy, as I thought we might not have been quite as close to Timo as we ended up – he goes very well here and I think that if the traffic hadn't played its part Heikki might have been able to get past him. As development on this year's car stopped back in July and we put our resources into the 2011 car, we always knew the competition would become closer as the season drew to an end, with our closest rivals continuing to bring upgrades to each race. With that in mind, the fact that Heikki is as close as he is to Timo means we can not be too disappointed. Jarno also did a good job today, after a tricky weekend for him on a track he does not favour, and they are both pumped up to fight tomorrow, so there's all to play for in the race."

Friday in Singapore began with a momentous announcement off-track when Team Principal Tony Fernandes confirmed that Lotus Racing will become Team Lotus for the 2011 FIA Formula One™ World Championship and beyond. As the action returned to the track Fairuz Fauzy deputised for Jarno Trulli in FP1, whilst Heikki Kovalainen showed good pace in the humid conditions to finish the day's two practice sessions in 15th and 19th places respectively.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP1: 12 laps, best time 1.56.603, 15th / FP2: 30 laps, best time 1.51.878, 19th "It was a pretty good Friday practice and I'm pleased with where we ended up. Track conditions like today make it interesting for the drivers, especially on the dry tyres, as it's slippery and wet in some places, then good grip in others. We've found a good direction with the set up today, particularly in the second session, and both of the tyre compounds worked well. The long runs seemed promising so I've got to say it's one of the good Fridays!

"The track is improving too. The bumps are still there, but they feel less severe, and overall there's a very positive feeling around the whole place. The heat doesn't feel so bad this year either so I'm really looking forward to the rest of the weekend."

Fairuz Fauzy (Chassis T127-04) FP1: 11 laps, best time 2.05.694, 24th "The wet-dry track conditions meant we limited our running in the first session today, to avoid using up tyres, but when I got out on track it felt good to be back and we managed to get some useful data from the run. I'll be back in the car in FP1 in Abu Dhabi and hopefully it'll be dry there so I can get maximum time in the cockpit."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP2: 27 laps, best time 1.53.526, 22nd "We did a good number of laps in the second session, but I had a few problems with the engine driveability and with braking – it's really difficult to feel the car when you have these kinds of problems, but let's wait and see what tomorrow brings."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "Overall it was a reasonable Friday, although we couldn't find the perfect balance on either car. Jarno in particular was not happy with his setup, so we will work on that tonight and see what happens tomorrow. It was good to see Fairuz back in the car, and with the tricky conditions this morning it was difficult for him but he did a good job, so overall we're satisfied, but I think there's more to come tomorrow."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "On track, it's been a reasonably satisfying day for all three drivers and the whole team. We think we have a lot left in the cars, and while Heikki was happier today than Jarno, we're confident that in qualifying Jarno's professionalism and experience will see him get what he wants out of the car, as he always does.

"Off track, today really was an exceptional day. There have been so many special days in our story so far, but for me it feels like the Team Lotus announcement we made this morning is all about the future. A year ago Mike and I were walking around Singapore talking about where we wanted to take a new racing team. Today we have established the future of our brand and we are thrilled about that. This is not about the legacy and the historic rights of Team Lotus – that is very well handled by Clive Chapman. His father Colin's legacy is something we respect, and we are very proud to be part of it, but we played no part in creating that. Today's announcement about Team Lotus was about solidifying our future, and moving forward under new leadership to try to bring more glory to a great name. We have a long way to go, and over the next few weeks more announcements will be made that will provide a clear view of our strategy for next year and beyond, but now it's about our team rising up the grid and becoming a serious competitor. We have shown that we are a serious team, and that we are here to stay, and everything now is about our future being in our own hands."

Lotus Racing has today confirmed that the team will be known as Team Lotus from 2011. The migration from Lotus Racing to Team Lotus will take place over the coming months and the renamed team will be the direct successor to the iconic previous incarnation of Team Lotus when they take to the track in the 2011 FIA Formula One™ World Championship and beyond. Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun's Tune Group has acquired Team Lotus Ventures Ltd, the company led by David Hunt since Team Lotus was last on track, and through that agreement now has full ownership of the historic rights and goodwill of the Team Lotus brand and heritage.

Tony Fernandes, Lotus Racing Team Principal, is delighted that the hard work that has been going on behind the scenes to make this acquisition can now be announced, saying: "Kamarudin, Nasa and I are absolutely delighted to have completed this transaction - It's difficult to express just what it means to us to now be able to say we are Team Lotus, one of the most iconic names in any form of sport worldwide, but we have been working very hard to make this dream come true, and today it has. My thanks go to David for looking after the Team Lotus brand so well over the period of his stewardship, and keeping the integrity of Team Lotus together. We are very excited about now taking over the brand and after our first year in Formula One™, we believe we are ready to do justice to the legacy we have inherited. These are heady days for Team Lotus, and it will be a very exciting process for the team we have in place to help us achieve our goals, on and off track.

"It was always important to us that Lotus Racing and Team Lotus could be brought together to unite the past and the present, and now we have done so. We have enjoyed a successful first year as Lotus Racing, and our thanks go to Proton, Group Lotus and all our partners for the parts they have played in our year as Lotus Racing. But now we move on to a new chapter, and as Team Lotus we will be an even more potent force, both on and off track. Everyone associated with the team is looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead – even more so now we will be bringing back one of the most loved, revered and respected names in motor racing history. A new dream starts today – Team Lotus is back."

David Hunt, who has overseen the negotiations with Tony and his team, has been Managing Director of Team Lotus since 1994. He revealed his feelings about returning Britain's greatest motor racing name to Formula 1™, saying: "I'm delighted this day has finally arrived. In January 1995, when I had the simply awful task of making the loyal Team Lotus personnel redundant, I promised them, the fans and the media that somehow we would return Team Lotus to F1™ in good order and properly funded. We had no idea of the huge difficulties we would have to overcome when I made that statement.

"Nevertheless, I simply would not allow the legacy of Colin Chapman's extraordinary achievements to die and I want publicly to thank the many loyal individuals who have worked to reach what sometimes seemed an impossible goal. The custodianship of the iconic brand and history now passes from me to Tony, Kamarudin and Nasa. In relinquishing this responsibility I am confident I am handing over to a team who have the financial resources, passion, energy, vision and long-term commitment to give Team Lotus the best possible chance of returning to the sharp end of the grid. I look forward to assisting the team towards scoring Team Lotus' 80th Grand Prix win – that will be the day when all the effort of the past 15 years will finally seem worthwhile."

Lotus Racing moves back to Asia where the unique night race in Singapore marks the 15th round of the 2010 FIA Formula One™ World Championship. For the Anglo-Malaysian squad, the event will be another opportunity to cement their status as best of the new teams on-track, and will provide the perfect backdrop for a number of very exciting announcements about the team's future for 2011 and beyond.

Mike Gascoyne, Lotus Racing Chief Technical Officer: "Looking back to Italy it was obviously not the outcome we wanted in the race, particularly after such a good weekend until that point, but Jarno's pace was very encouraging, particularly in the race, and Heikki put in a good performance to finish 18th. Now we move on to Singapore where we will be looking to get both cars over the finish line and reinforce our position in front of the new teams. The focus now is really on the 2011 car, so we won't be bringing any major new parts to Singapore. Despite that, I think we'll be able to maintain the advantage we have over our nearest rivals on what is a pretty high downforce track. The track is bumpy and some of the kerbs are pretty high, so being able to deal with the bumps and the kerbs well is important. Both our drivers have reported that they feel like the car deals well with uneven surfaces, and they have the confidence to attack the kerbs in the T127, so let's see what happens."

Heikki Kovalainen: "It's always slightly different racing in Singapore, but it's something I look forward to. The race organisers always do a great job in preparing the track, and it's pretty hardcore for the fans as the cars look cool and sound amazing around the city streets. The race itself is pretty tough on the cars and the drivers, but we make sure our body clocks stay on European time and as long as we sleep well and stick to our normal schedules, we cope with it fine.

"Before the race I'll be doing some intensive training over the next week and a half to make sure I'm ready for the remaining flyaway races. It's important to make sure I have enough in reserve, not just for Singapore, but for what lies ahead in Japan, Korea, Brazil and Abu Dhabi."

Jarno Trulli: "I'm staying in Italy after the race and will be doing a bit of cycling with some friends in Tuscany – it's good to relax a bit between races and catch up with friends, and combining that with a bit of training is a good way to prepare for the next race. I really like the challenge of racing in Singapore – as a driver it's good to push yourself and while the track itself isn't hugely different from a couple of others on the calendar, the fact that it's a night race makes it a unique event. It'll be good to give the fans in Singapore, so close to Malaysia, their first chance to see the car on track, so we're all looking forward to it. In terms of preparation for the race, there isn't a huge amount you can do – we use a clear visor to maximise visibility in the twilight conditions, but apart from making sure your body stays on European time, it's pretty much the same as any other race – train hard for the heat and make sure you're ready."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "Singapore is going to be amazing, for me and the whole team – we'll be making a couple of very exciting announcements over the race weekend, so it'll be good for us on and off track. Fairuz is driving in FP1 and it's always good to see a young Malaysian competing on a global level, particualrly for Lotus Raicng. On a purely visual level it will be very cool to see our cars under the lights, and I think that green and yellow paint scheme, with the white flashes running along the cars, will look amazing on track – it's something the fans will love. They also need to keep an eye on the skies, as the pictures of one of our AirAsia planes in Lotus Racing colours have appeared on the internet. I was sent a few pictures of it by Twitter, and while that is obviously very cool, it means even more to me that that plane will be taking the team back home to Malaysia after the race, and that they will be taking a bit of time off between Singapore and Japan in our other home. It is great to know they can land on the other side of the world from the UK and be given the sort of welcome they will receive in Malaysia, where Lotus Racing has really touched the heart strings of a huge amount of Malaysian fans.

"Singapore itself is obviously somewhere that is very close to my heart – I know a lot of people there, and I have had a lot of emails from friends and colleagues who are very excited about seeing us on track, so I can't wait. Singapore is where we first announced the formation of Lotus Racing, standing there in black polo shirts and black caps. Mike had brought some parts with him to show Dr Tun Mahathir and now we have gone from that small beginning, with just a few parts and a very big dream, to where we are today, and long may that dream continue. "

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP3: 14 laps, best time 1.25.788, 19th / QUALIFYING: 18th, 1.25.540, 10 laps “It was a great qualifying session for the whole team today because both cars are in front of a Force India and it’s looking good for tomorrow. The mechanics sorted out a little problem on the car just before the session, and they’ve been working really well all weekend so it’s good to repay that with the result. It’s always good to be able to perform like this at your home race and being best of the new guys means it’s been a good day.”

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP3: 16 laps, best time 1.25.925, 20th / QUALIFYING: 19th, 1.25.742, 11 laps “I’m very happy with the performance today. It’s been a really good qualifying for both me and Jarno and we’re both in a good position for the race tomorrow. I had a great long run in yesterday’s practice and I’m looking forward to the race, perhaps more than most of the races this season. We’ve had a few races this season where we haven’t got the most out of the Friday sessions, but we did so yesterday, and that, combined with the promise of a dry race tomorrow and a very good race car, means I think we’ll put in a strong performance.”

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: “It was an excellent qualifying session. I think we managed to get the most out of both cars today so well done to both drivers and the whole team. Overall I’m happy that we have the right level of wing for the race and after a trouble free session today we’re now looking forward to a solid two car finish tomorrow, ahead of our closest rivals.”

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: “What an awesome qualifying session! I’m so happy today – what a great way to bring up our first year anniversary! I always felt this would be Jarno’s day, but that’s taking nothing away from Heikki who also did an immense job out there. We are 1.1 seconds off Pedro’s Sauber, and on a power track like Monza that is incredible. I’m so proud of the whole team – they have worked brilliantly all weekend, and it has paid off today with a great performance from everyone. Tomorrow is going to be special, but the goal remains the same – get both cars home and make sure we stay ahead of the other new teams.” 

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP1: 12 laps, best time 1.26.898, 19th / FP2: 38 laps, best time 1.26.204, 19th “First of all it’s great to be back home for the first time with Lotus Racing. We’ve had a fantastic reception here, and even though Monza hasn’t been particularly lucky for me, it felt great to be out on track today. We started with a problem early on in FP1, but the guys did a great job in a very short time to change the parts which weren’t working properly. They put the car back together fast enough to give me some track time in the first session, so thanks to them for that. In FP2 we got through the whole programme – we were mainly looking at tyre evaluation and setup work, so having completed that it’s been a positive day. Obviously we’d like to pull away a bit more from the guys behind us, and I think with some more work tonight we’ll be looking good for tomorrow and Sunday.”

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP1: 14 laps, best time 1.27.374, 20th / FP2: 41 laps, best time 1.26.306, 20th “It was a pretty good day. We had a bit of an issue this morning, but were able to identify the problem quickly and we only lost a bit of time. This afternoon everything went to plan – we had no issues at all and the car feels good on both low and high fuel loads. It obviously moves around a bit more in the low downforce settings, but it’s the same for everyone and I think our top speed’s where it should be so I think we’re looking pretty good for the whole weekend.”

Jody Egginton, Chief Race Engineer: “Excellent job by the guys all day, particularly this morning. We did the installation laps and then decided to make a couple of precautionary changes which meant both crews had to work hard to make sure we could get some track time. They did a great job and turned both cars around, which meant we pretty much completed both Jarno and Heikki’s programmes in the morning. In FP2 we completed a lot of laps, put a lot of kilometres on the tyres and tried a couple of setup changes. We’ve got a lot of data to go through tonight, but we’re pretty satisfied with where we are. There’s obviously a bit of cat and mouse going on between us and our nearest rivals with wing levels and fuel loads, but we think we’re where we should be, and that means it’s been a pretty good day.”

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: “It’s really good to be back with the team after a few races where I’ve been watching away from the track. We started out with a bit of pressure, having to make some changes early on in the session, but that’s what we’re about – trying something and not being afraid to do so. This afternoon we ran a good number of laps and generated a lot of useful data, and as both drivers were happy with the car it’s been a good day. It’s a good day to come back - sitting on the pitwall it suddenly clicked for me that we’re one year on since we received the letter from Max confirming our entry. We’ve talked about it a lot, but it’s real – we’re now 14 races into the Lotus Racing story, and we’re here to stay.”

The Italian Grand Prix at Monza marks the last European race of the 2010 FIA Formula One™ World Championship. As the Lotus Racing team heads to Jarno Trulli's home country, Jarno and a number of key team members take the time to look ahead to what promises to be another exciting race for the Anglo-Malaysian squad.

Mike Gascoyne, Lotus Racing Chief Technical Officer: "Looking back to last weekend, Spa was in many ways one of our best performance of the year so far. We have had better positions at the end of a number of races, but in terms of reliability, Spa was our strongest performance to date. Now we go to Monza and that's always a special place to race – the Tifosi create an incredible atmosphere, and while it's obviously focused on Ferrari, I think seeing Jarno and Heikki in our green and yellow cars will be pretty special for some of the most passionate motorsport fans in the world.

"Monza will also be very special for me, Tony, Din, Nasa, Riad and the whole team on a personal level. Race day is the 12th September, which is exactly one year to the day since we heard that our entry into the 2010 Formula One™ World Championship had been accepted. It's hard to put into words just what that means to all of us, but it's already been an incredible 365 days, and we have many more exciting times to come. I've been asked a number of times if I really thought we'd be able to do what looked to many like an impossible task – creating a team from literally just words on a piece of paper to now sitting 10th in the Championship, best of the new teams and with a very bright future ahead of us.

"Onto the track itself: Monza is unique as it's now the lowest downforce circuit on the modern Formula One™ calendar. For the race weekend, we'll have a revised low downforce package with new front and rear wings, plus a few other smaller modifications to the cars."

Heikki Kovalainen: "After Spa I'm feeling really good physically and mentally. Before we got to Belgium, I had a proper rest for a week, and then got back into training for the second couple of weeks of the summer break to prepare myself for the end of the season. It paid off because I felt great all weekend in Spa and now I'm looking forward to Monza and then the remaining races. Monza is one of the real highlights of the year and it'll be good to be back in Italy. It's a very different type of circuit and it has a great atmosphere. Obviously Ferrari have huge support out in the stands, but so do the other teams as the fans just love F1™. I think it'll be a pretty cool weekend – for us drivers it's a high speed track and with the low downforce configuration it makes it very interesting to race there. For the fans it's cool as well as the cars are pushed to the limit, and they look and sound pretty awesome on track."

Jarno Trulli: "Monza is a very special Grand Prix. We Italian drivers have fantastic support out there, and the fans are really fired up for the race. It's such a warm atmosphere, you can't help but enjoy it. The track is challenging, but it's not as technical as some of them. You obviously need good top speed, low downforce, good traction good braking stability. Everyone talks about the low downforce, but the brakes play a really crucial role. You need to have the confidence to brake as late as possible and as hard as possible at the chicanes, and then you need to have really good traction to get yourself out of them as quickly as possible. I think we saw in Spa that our car is pretty good at the quicker tracks, so I think we'll be able to repeat our performance in Belgium – as long as we come out ahead of our nearest rivals we'll be happy, and then we'll be back in the air for the remaining races of 2010."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "I've had to watch the last few races on TV as other commitments have kept me away from the races, so it'll be good to be back on track in Italy. The last couple of weeks have been very exciting for the whole team – we've seen Nabil Jeffri, a Malaysian superstar in the making, become the youngest ever driver to test an F1™ car at the aero test we ran on Wednesday, and it was a very proud moment for me to see him put in a great day's work for us in what must have been a pretty stressful environment for such a young guy. He proves what I've always believed – work hard to achieve your dreams and they will come true. That's the same for everyone in Lotus Racing – exactly one year ago on September 12th our Formula One™ dream came true, and now we'll be competing at one of the world's great race tracks, bringing the green and yellow cars back to where they belong, and I can't wait to see the reaction of the crowds when we take to the track. Mike has already said what it means to him to see our cars racing hard just 12 months since we started work on this amazing team, and I echo his thoughts entirely. It has been an amzing journey already, but after Monza we'll be heading back to Asia, and it's going to keep getting more exciting with every step we take."

The Imperial War Museum runway at Duxford played host to the youngest ever test driver in Formula One™ history today, with 16 year old Nabil Jeffri seeing his F1™ dream come true as he conducted a day of aero testing for Lotus Racing on the museum's Cambridgeshire runway. Fairuz Fauzy and Heikki Kovalainen were both on hand to lend their advice to the young Malaysian and Nabil, a key member of the AirAsia ASEAN Driver Development programme, completed the day's testing, and gave the team valuable pitstop practice throughout a busy day on track for the Anglo – Malaysian squad.

Stepping out of the car at the end of the day, Nabil was understandably excited about his day behind the wheel of the T127, saying "I have had an incredible day, one of the best days of my life, and I want to thank Lotus Racing, Tony Fernandes and Mike Gascoyne for giving me the chance to drive their car. I have to admit that the first time I went out it was pretty scary – everyone told me the acceleration would be unbelievable, and the braking would be so much greater than anything I've ever experienced, and it took a while to get used to that, but Heikki and Fairuz gave me some advice on how to settle in to it, and after a while I was more comfortable, and was able to get through the day's plan. It's such an honour to have had this opportunity, and it'll be a long time before the excitement wears off, but I'll keep on working hard to one day join Heikki, Fairuz, Jarno and the rest of the F1™ grid, and with the support of people like Tony and Lotus Racing, I've got a great chance of doing so."

Also at the test was Lotus Racing driver Heikki Kovalainen, who joined the test to give Nabil some invaluable advice: "It's a great experience for Nabil and it's really good to see how well he did. He's obviously very young, and he'll remember this experience for the rest of his life. When you feel the power of a Formula One™ car for the first time it's an incredible feeling and I told him to enjoy it, and not get stressed about trying to impress everyone too much. He did a great job today - he quickly picked up the correct procedures, and was working well with the whole team, which is pretty awesome when you think we've got the proper race team here today which could have been a bit daunting. It's also great to see Lotus Racing investing in young talent, and we're showing that the ladder to success in F1™ is there for anyone, wherever they are in the world, which is pretty cool, however you look at it."

On hand to oversee the test was Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne, who said "I'm delighted that Nabil has done such a good job and I'd like to thank him for the work he put in today. Aero testing is an important part of the ongoing development of the car, and it's great that we can give an opportunity to someone as young as Nabil to help us take another step forward. He completed the planned programme, gave clear and precise feedback, and we couldn't ask any more of him than that. I'm sure this experience will help him take another step forward in his career, and we'll be keeping a close eye on him to see if what he's learnt today can help him take that next step up, in performance terms, in the Asian Formula BMW Championship."

Team Principal Tony Fernandes was keeping a close eye on the day's proceedings from his office in Malaysia, and said "When I first offered Nabil the chance to drive our car he couldn't tell if I was joking or not, but I was very serious about giving a young Malaysian the chance to step up to the big time. He's repaid my faith in him and has performed incredibly well, and that's a source of real pride for me as he proves what I've always believed – keep dreaming, work hard to achieve what other people tell you is impossible, and your dreams will come true. I suspect Nabil will head back to Malaysia with his head spinning from everything that's happened to him today, but now he can say he's driven an F1™ car, and that will set his sights at the very top for the rest of his life. Congratulations Nabil – you're a superstar!"

The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa lived up to all expectations and produced an incident packed race that saw Lotus Racing again finish ahead of their nearest rivals. Heikki Kovalainen recovered from a slow start to finish 16th, and Jarno Trulli crossed the line in 19th, a spin late on dropping him back a few places after he had put in a very strong performance in the constantly changing weather conditions.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) 16th, fastest lap 1.55.797 - lap 23, 3 stops – laps 1, 3, 33: "I had a bit of a problem at the start when the engine bogged down, and I activated the anti-stall, but I was already being passed by the time I could get up to speed. The rain had started and unfortunately I damaged my front wing in the last turn so I had to pit. We took a gamble with the inters but the rain stopped, so I had to come back in and I lost out to the group ahead of me. After that it was a question of doing the best job I could, and keeping us in with a chance of taking advantage of the rain at the end, and as it turned out we managed to pick up a few places at the end and finish 16th."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) 19th, fastest lap 1.55.103 – lap 24, 1 stop – lap 33: "It was pretty exciting out there, an eventful race where lots of things happened, but that's normal for Spa! At the start I went wide to avoid Heikki and unfortunately was overtaken by a couple of other cars. After that I was struggling a bit in the early stages with my rear tyres overheating – fortunately they came back so I could started pushing and managed to pull away from the guys behind, so that was a good stint until the rain came. I had quite a big margin over my nearest competitor so I was looking pretty good, but then the safety car came out. At the restart I was following the other cars but obviously the visibility was very poor and I made a bit of an error on a high speed corner, touched the white line with the rear end of the car and it just slipped away from me, which meant I lost places. I continued, but then the race was over from there. I'm glad we got both cars home, and it's good to see we've still got an advantage over our nearest rivals, so bring on Monza!"

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "An exciting race and a typically eventful one here in Spa. Neither driver had a great start which meant we lost a few places, and Heikki had a problem when the rain started. We changed him onto intermediates, but were then a little slow in changing him back, but he drove a great race, and was quick at the end in the wet conditions, and he again brought us home best of the new teams. Jarno drove a strong race. He struggled initially with the tyres, but in the middle part of the race his pace was very strong, and it's just a shame that he had a spin in the difficult wet conditions as it would have been nice to have had both cars finish ahead of the other new guys. But despite that, both cars finished and overall this has been a good weekend for the whole team."

Riad Asmat, Chief Executive Officer: "I feel great. I think we achieved what we wanted to do – we got both cars home and we're still ahead of the other new teams. It's a bit unfortunate that Jarno spun out, but it's all part of racing. He recovered well and I think we'll all move on from this point and feel confident we can put in a good performance in Monza, and the remaining races. I think the team did great today and there was maximum effort involved, so well done to everyone. The rain of course threw everything out of sync, but we survived it today and we're really happy."

Lotus Racing CEO Riad Asmat and the Malaysian flag brought a touch of luck to the team today at the Belgian Grand Prix Qualifying session as Heikki Kovalainen made it through to his second appearance of the season in Q2, and finished the session 16th. Jarno Trulli just missed out on Q2 after yellow flags at the end of an action packed Q1 forced him to back off, robbing him of the chance of joining his team-mate in the afternoon's second session. With the Mercedes cars of both Schumacher and Rosberg having to take grid penalties, and Timo Glock's Virgin being dropped five places after the session, the Lotus Racing cars will provisionally line up 14th and 15th, and with the T127s carrying the Malaysian flag on the engine covers at Spa to celebrate Malaysian Independence Day on 31st August, the team are looking forward to putting in a performance tomorrow to give all their fans in Malaysia and around the world something to cheer for in the unpredictable Belgian conditions.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP3: 14 laps, best time 1.51.384, 21st / QUALIFYING: 16th, 1.50.980, 12 laps "It was a great qualifying for us today, the second time we made it into Q2 like we did in Malaysia. It's a shame Jarno didn't make it through as well, and I was just ahead of him, but the team did a great job today and they should all be very pleased. We made the right calls on tyres in both sessions and in the second session it was really about fighting with Timo, and we nailed him so we achieved what we set out to do today. I think we should be in pretty good shape tomorrow against our direct competitors, and those just ahead, as it looks like the lower downforce circuits suit us, so I hope we have mixed conditions tomorrow and can give it our best shot."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP3: 14 laps, best time 1.50.600, 19th / QUALIFYING: 18th, 2.01.491, 9 laps "I'm obviously disappointed that I didn't make it into Q2, but congratulations to Heikki and the team for putting in such a good performance. It was a pretty crazy session, and it started badly for me when di Grassi lost his car - I was quicker than him, and I couldn't avoid going over him. If he had let me by in the first place when I was much quicker, then it wouldn't have happened. It's difficult in changeable conditions, everyone gets surprised, but we're still in a pretty good position tomorrow, so we'll do our best to reward the fans."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "In the end it was a very good session for us today. It's disappointing we didn't get Jarno into Q2 as well, but the yellow flags at the end of his final run held him up, otherwise I'm sure he'd have joined Heikki in Q2. Heikki did a great job in spite of the conditions, and he managed to get the best out the car. We'll be in our best starting positions tomorrow and we're all looking forward to a good strong race. We're clearly the quickest of the new boys, and tomorrow will be all about getting Jarno up with Heikki, getting both cars across the finish line, and making good on the performance we've put in today."

Riad Asmat, Chief Executive Officer: "I'm absolutely delighted, for the whole team, and for everyone who supports us around the world. We managed to get into Q2 for the second time in our first season which is pretty fantastic by any measure. It's a shame Jarno didn't get in as well, but that's what happens in racing, and this is a really good start after the summer break. It's important to remember that we're a small team, with limited resources, and I think that what we have achieved today, and will continue to achieve, is the stuff dreams are made of.

"I'm lucky enough that Tony deputised me for this weekend in place of him who unfortunately can't be here, but I think Tony, Din and Nasa, our Deputy Team Principals, all wish they were here - that's for sure! They've all sent a load of messages, and they're delighted with how we performed today. Tony's passed on his congratulations to everyone and has said that the guys have done a great job today. He, Din and Nasa are here in spirit without a doubt – and we wouldn't be here in Spa without them.

"To top it all, it's the Malaysian Independence day on the 31st, so it's just perfect. For everyone in Malaysia Hari Merdeka is a really important day, and I'm just really proud to see our cars carry the flag today, and to have done so well."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "This is a very special day for me. It's funny how things pan out. By me not being there Riad deputised for me and what a story! Riad has gone from a very special assistant for many years to a CEO, and now he's on the pitwall commanding and directing. That is Lotus Racing. We make the unbelievable believable, and we show that you have to keep dreaming. Whatever happens tomorrow, it doesn't really matter. What matters today is Riad, Mike, Heikki, Jarno and the whole team who pulled out an amazing performance. Well done to all."

Lotus Racing took up where they left off at the last race in Hungary, with Friday's Belgian Grand Prix practice sessions ending up with Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli topping the new team's time sheets in very mixed conditions on track.

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP1: 15 laps, best time 2.07.189, 21st / FP2: 21 laps, best time 1.53.639, 20th "It feels good to be back. It's always nice to be back on track, especially in Spa as it's such a good track. Practice today went very well for me and I'm pleased with where we ended up. Unfortunately on the last run this afternoon I was blocked by another car which prevented me from going quicker with the same set of tyres as everyone else, but before that I was looking pretty good, so I feel confident for tomorrow."

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP1: 15 laps, best time 2.07.955, 23rd / FP2: 15 laps, best time 1.53.480, 19th "It wasn't too bad today considering the weather, but at least everyone was in the same position. There were no big problems - the car seemed to work well in all the conditions, but it's always hard to draw a conclusion when the weather keeps changing and teams keep running different tyres. So you can't read too much into the times today. The track itself feels fine – it's a great track, and in the dry it will be really good. Fingers crossed for blue skies tomorrow!"

Dieter Gass, Sporting Director: "It was a difficult day today with the mixed and changing conditions. This morning's run was pretty much meaningless, because of the weather, but at least it was better in the afternoon. We got a bit of dry running in in FP2 which gave us a chance to look at the tyres, but with the continuously changing conditions it was difficult to work on the set up. We'll look at the data now and make a call on the set ups, downforce levels and ratios that we are going to run tomorrow, so I think we've got quite a bit of work to do this evening. Whatever happens, I'm confident we can maintain our position ahead of the new teams if the conditions stay stable. In the mixed conditions anything can happen, and you need a bit of luck to keep up the momentum, so let's see what happens."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "Obviously the weather today made it an interesting first day for everyone. The first session was very wet and we just ran on the full wets. In the second session we switched to the inters and then managed to run both sets of dry tyres, but the changing conditions make any meaningful work or comparisons very difficult. But I'm reasonably happy with where we are and look forward to some dry weather over the weekend."

Lotus Racing has today confirmed its commitment to embracing young talent with the announcement that Nabil Jeffri, the 16 year old Malaysian karting prodigy currently competing in Formula BMW Pacific with Eurasia Motorsport, will be driving for the fastest new F1™ team at an aero test the team will be running in early September at an undisclosed location in the UK.

Nabil has enjoyed a bright start to his motor racing career and is currently fifth in the Formula BMW Pacific championship – taking part in the aero test with Lotus Racing will give the young star invaluable experience of working at the top level in global motorsport, and will give the team a chance to put a promising young driver through his paces very early in his career away from the glare of a Grand Prix weekend.

A talented young driver, Nabil is driving for Lotus Racing as part of his sponsorship in the AirAsia ASEAN Driver Development Program. The program was created to accelerate the growth of motorsports in the region. It provides an avenue for youth in the ASEAN region to pursue their dream of becoming professional race car drivers. It offers aspiring drivers a platform to polish their talents and effectively compete with world class drivers.

Nabil said "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to drive for Lotus Racing in the aero test. It's a big privilege to gain driving experience with the most promising new F1™ team. Driving the Lotus Racing car will definitely be a priceless exposure to the F1™ driving experience, and I'm looking forward to many more similar opportunities to arise as a result of being part of the AirAsia Driver Development program."

Lotus Racing Team Principal Tony Fernandes commented: "It's an exciting day for all of us in the Lotus Racing team – being able to give bright young talent like Nabil the chance to play an integral role in the development of our team is a recognition of his burgeoning talent, and shows that there is a clear route to the top rung of the motorsport ladder, no matter how old you are or where you are racing. I'm sure that before he gets in the hot seat he'll be speaking to Fairuz Fauzy for some advice – Fairuz is another Malaysian sports star who, as our third driver, is showing at tracks around the world that you can reach the top if you work hard to achieve your dreams – together, they serve as inspirations to everyone in our team, and to young talent all over the world."

Lotus Racing enjoyed an excellent day in the heat of the Hungarian Grand Prix with Heikki Kovalainen finishing 14th and Jarno Trulli just behind in 15th. A very exciting race, full of incidents throughout the grid, saw the Anglo / Malaysian squad firmly consolidate their position at the top of the new team chart, sending the team into the summer break full of confidence for the challenges that lay ahead when the Championship reconvenes in late August.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) 14th, fastest lap 1.27.457 - lap 64, 1 stop - lap 15: "A great day for the team, and a great job from everyone to get us home in 14th and 15th. I think that was the maximum we could have hoped for, so we're all really pleased. Despite starting behind Timo we were confident we could overtake him, and that's how it panned out. My own race was fairly straightforward. I dropped a few places at the start but when the safety car came in I was brought straight in to pit and it worked out well as I jumped a couple of guys ahead. From then I was controlling my pace to the end, and making sure I didn't make any mistakes. We head into the break very satisfied with how we performed today, and that's great for the whole team."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) 15th, fastest lap 1.27.429 – lap 58, 1 stop – lap 20: "It's a great day for the team. All weekend I've been strong, and today's two car finish shows how hard the team's been working. I made a very good start and managed to gain three places, and once I got ahead of Timo it was pretty comfortable staying in front. I lost out to Heikki in the strategy call during the safety car period, but that was in the best interests of the team, and as we are again ahead of our nearest rivals, we've achieved what we set out to today."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "An excellent two car finish and once again we're the best of the new teams. Both drivers drove strong races and Jarno had a particularly good start. Once the safety car came out we made a strategy call to keep Jarno out as we knew it would be a short period behind the safety car and this was the right strategy for the team. Unfortunately this meant Jarno lost a place to his teammate, so apologies to him, but we got the call right for the team. Heikki drove a good strong race to the end. He was bottled up behind Di Grassi at the start, but once he'd got past he was very comfortable running to the flag. All in all a really good result, and a very good day for the team."

Kamarudin Meranun, Deputy Team Principal: "It was a very exciting race and moments like this are the ones you want to cherish. We made a very good decision with Heikki when the safety car came out, and both he and Jarno drove really well to keep their positions to the end. It's a great day for the team, and I've just given Tony a challenge – let's see you beat that next time you're on the pitwall!"

Lotus Racing will start the Hungarian Grand Prix in 20th and 21st positions, with Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli qualifying within 1/10th of a second of each other at the Hungaroring in today's official qualifying session.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-01) FP3: 22 laps, best time 1.24.623, 21st / QUALIFYING: 20th, 1.24.120, 9 laps "I think we got as much out of the car as we could today. Considering the time I lost yesterday it felt like the maximum this afternoon. The car felt ok, and it's a bit of a relief we got to where we are as I wasn't sure about the balance today, bearing in mind I'd missed most of FP2. We're still in a decent position for tomorrow and we'll focus on the start and the strategy, and make sure we stay ahead of the other new teams in the race itself."

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-04) FP3: 22 laps, best time 1.24.576, 20th / QUALIFYING: 21st, 1.24.199 9 laps "It's a bit disappointing today. I was going well on the first run but I was held by the traffic in the last sector and lost about 4/10ths, so we had to abort that lap – it's a shame as that was looking like pretty good. On the second run the tyres didn't work as well as we'd hoped and that cost me a lot of time. Despite that we'll do our best tomorrow, and want to see both cars across the finish line."

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "Little bit of a disappointing qualifying session today. After the first run both drivers were relatively happy, but neither of them got a clean run on the second set of tyres – Jarno in particular said he had very little grip with the second set. However, we are where we are, and we're looking for a strong two car finish tomorrow."

Kamarudin Meranun, Deputy Team Principal: "After the issues we had on Friday with Heikki we've got to be relatively pleased with where we are. Jarno's lap was obviously affected by traffic, and I think Heikki got as much out of his runs as he could with the time he lost yesterday, so we're still hopeful about getting ahead of the Virgin tomorrow, and getting both cars home."