Lotus Racing heads into the weekend's race feeling confident about maintaining their positive start to the season at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Lotus Racing also looks forward to welcoming Malaysian driver Fairuz Fauzy to his first practice on Friday morning, where he will be taking the Lotus Cosworth T127–01 around the Sepang Circuit.

Fairuz commented "First of all I'm very pleased to be back home, and I'm very happy to have been given the opportunity to drive on Friday – it'll be a good chance to test the track and the driving conditions, and I feel very happy to be back in F1™ driving for Lotus Racing in my home country of Malaysia after my last run in Barcelona. The car is much improved from the past two races and I hope we can continue the good development."

Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne said: "We left Australia with mixed feelings – delighted that Heikki finished and showed, again, that our initial focus on building a reliable car is paying off, but sorry for Jarno that he didn't have the chance to start the race because of a failure that was out of our control. We go into this weekend determined to give both drivers the chance to maintain our good start to the season – we've finished three out of four so far and I want to make it five out of six at Sepang.

"On a personal level it's great to be back in Malaysia and give the fans the chance to show what we've been working on since September last year. I spent a lot of time here with Tony, Din and Nasa when we were putting the entry together, and when we launched the team, and it's just great to be back here with two races done, and to show that the dream we had, and the hard work we're all putting in, is starting to pay off.

"The race this weekend will be another tough one for us – the temperature and the weather will obviously play a big part in our strategy for the weekend, but I'm confident we'll be able to build on the solid start we've had so far, and put on a good show for our Malaysian fans."

Turning attention to the race itself, Heikki and Jarno both echoed Mike's comments, with Heikki saying "I've always looked forward to the Sepang race. It's a technical circuit, one that puts heavy demands on your fitness level and pays you back if you find a good rhythm. I trained well over the winter and am feeling really good, physically and mentally, so I'm looking forward to the challenge, and after Bahrain and Melbourne my confidence levels in the car continue to grow, so basically I'm looking forward to getting on with it. I've also had the chance to play a bit of golf on Wednesday, so for me it looks like this will be a great week!"

Jarno added: "I was obviously disappointed not to start in Melbourne, but that makes me even more determined to do well in Malaysia. I know the team and our suppliers have been putting in the hours to fix the problem we had, so I just want to get back on track and push. Sepang's a hard race for sure – the heat and the humidity can make it pretty uncomfortable, but it's the same for everyone and maybe my experience helps me cope with it better than some. I like the track itself – finding a decent setup is a challenge as it's pretty hard on brakes and tyres, and it'll be interesting to see how the car behaves with full tanks around here, but I'll do my best and we'll see what happens."

Rounding off the Lotus Racing team's thoughts on its Malaysian homecoming is Team Principal Tony Fernandes, who said: "It's difficult to put into words just how happy I am to see Lotus Racing in Malaysia, and to see the reaction of the fans to our arrival here. It proves to me that I'm right about chasing your dreams. Just over six months ago I said we'd be here, and quite a few very experienced, very clever people said it couldn't be done – you couldn't build an F1™ team from scratch, literally from just an entry, to not just racing, but racing professionally, like we've been here for many years, in just six months, but we've done it and we're here. I'm so proud – not just of everyone in the team for the hard work they've put in since September and continue to do so every day, but also of every single one of our fans around the world, and particularly here in Malaysia, my home and one of the homes of Lotus Racing. We are British and Malaysian, united, and I want Lotus Racing to be accessible to anyone, anywhere, globally. We're here to show you that if you want to achieve amazing things you can. We're living the dream right now and I'm just really pleased that everyone in Malaysia can join us in doing so."

Kicking off the team's week in Malaysia, Lotus Racing today held a homecoming celebration at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur where all three drivers – Jarno Trulli, Heikki Kovalainen and Fairuz Fauzy - unveiled the stunning green-and-yellow Lotus Cosworth T127 for the first time to their Malaysian fans. There to witness the momentous occasion were Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Youth and Sports Minister Dato' Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

They were joined by Lotus Racing Deputy Team Principals SM Nasarudin and Dato' Kamarudin Meranun, Proton Holdings Berhad Group MD Dato' Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohd Tahir, as well as Sepang International Circuit Chairman Dato' Mokhzani Mahathir.

SM Nasarudin said: "This is truly the proudest moment for all of us to be here right in the heart of our capital city Kuala Lumpur, sharing this moment with all Malaysians and together we make it a 1Malaysia celebration. This is the much awaited homecoming for Lotus Racing, as this is the first time that the Lotus Cosworth T127 cars are on Malaysian soil. There is nothing like being on your own home ground."

The Lotus Cosworth T127 is on display at the Pavilion's main concourse area from 3pm to 10 pm today and it will be the first opportunity for F1™ fans in Malaysia to catch a glimpse of the machine since it was launched in London on 12 February.

"This is the real Lotus Cosworth T127 that will be racing in Sepang on 2-4 April. This is a very rare opportunity for our fans to see our actual car up close" added SM Nasimuddin.

Apart from an autograph session with drivers Jarno Trulli, Heikki Kovalainen and Fairuz Fauzy, Lotus Racing merchandise is also on sale for the first time during the event. The team also launched the Malaysian Chapter of the official Lotus Racing Fan Club.

On the side of the celebration is a photo gallery containing some rarely seen photographs that provide a chronology of the team's history, development and progress.

The Lotus Racing team was announced by Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak in September 2009. Currently based in Norfolk, UK, the team launched its lean, green racing machine in London on 12 February 2010, exactly month before its maiden race in Bahrain and five months to the day after they received confirmation of their entry into the 2010 Formula One™ World Championship.

A private investment by Malaysia's leading entrepreneurs, Lotus Racing's current partners and sponsors include Proton Holdings, which licences out the use of the Lotus brand name to the team, Tune Group of Companies, of which Team Principal Dato' Sri Tony Fernandes and Deputy Team Principal Dato' Kamarudin Meranun are co-founders, Naza Group of Companies of which SM Nasarudin is Group CEO, Bridgestone, Hackett and CNN.

At the event today the team also announced its latest sponsor, Maxis Berhad. Sandip Das, Maxis Berhad Chief Executive Officer said, "Maxis is pleased to broaden its sports involvement through the sponsorship of the Lotus Racing Team in Formula One™. This is the pride of the nation and as the leading and most innovative Malaysian Telco, which is also globally respected, we wanted to be a part of this wonderful Malaysia moment. Maxis' commitment to Lotus Racing promises to deliver a more integrated F1™ experience to our customers with immediate access to the latest racing news and information via their mobile phones, wherever and whenever they want. In addition, lucky Maxis customers will have the exclusive opportunity of watching the Sepang Grand Prix live this coming weekend compliments of Maxis."

Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus Cosworth T127-01): "I enjoyed it today, I had good fun out there. Our target was to finish the race and from the start we were quite comfortably ahead of the new teams. When Glock dropped I just focused on keeping up a decent rhythm, not making any mistakes and bringing the car home. It's difficult to say whether a different strategy would have worked better - if we'd stopped once more and put a fresh set of tyres on, that might have been better way to go, but our target was to finish the race and we achieved that again. Now we go to Malaysia with a good feeling and we're all looking forward to that."

Jarno Trulli (Lotus Cosworth T127-03): "Unfortunately we couldn't start the race today because we had a hydraulic failure on the grid and, despite the team's best efforts, we couldn't fix it in time to make the race. We'll work now to fix that for Malaysia and I'm looking forward to getting out there and seeing what we can do in Sepang."

Mike Gascoyne "Obviously a very disappointing start. Jarno had a hydraulic power pack fail on the grid, not something we've seen before and we couldn't get it changed in time. Balancing that was another strong race from Heikki who did really well staying out on the option tyre. He made a good start but lost a few places after the accident on the opening lap, but he did a great job to get the car home, keeping us tenth in the championship. And congratulations to Karun Chandhok for getting a finish!"

Tony Fernandes "I guess we've got to have had some bad luck at some point and unfortunately it was today. I'm disappointed for Jarno, but Heikki did us proud - three places away from a point, and he was keeping pace with most of the other cars throughout the race. Maybe it would have been nice if three other cars had gone out so we could get a point, but, joking aside, it is good that at this stage of the season we're already thinking about points. We're in a nice position for Malaysia. We're looking forward to going home, and really looking forward to giving our fans something to shout about."

Jarno Trulli (Lotus-Cosworth T127-03): "I had a problem with the seat which meant it wasn't easy to drive, bouncing around in the car, so it was a difficult qualifying session. I'm pleased for the team though, as both cars are ahead of the new teams and we're performing really well. It's good to see that we have quite a big gap to the other new teams on this track and we're very satisfied with that – we're confident for tomorrow and we'll do our best to try and finish the race again."

Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus-Cosworth T127-01): "It was a good run this afternoon. I got a good lap out of the car and out of the tyres and in general the car feels much better than it did in Bahrain. We have progressed with the set up, and as a team we are really stepping forward. Our aim for tomorrow is to make sure we stay ahead of the other new teams, and finish the race with both cars. I'm so happy with Lotus, and feel I have the chance to show what I can really do."

Mike Gascoyne, Lotus Racing Chief Technical Officer: "It was a good solid job in qualifying, both drivers did very well and got the most out of the cars, and I'm very happy with the whole team. Apologies to Jarno for the seat problem, which must have hindered him. One area we're very pleased with is the growing relationship with Cosworth from whom we've had excellent reliability to date."

Team Principal Tony Fernandes rounded up the day's achievement saying "Once again Lotus Racing has done us proud. Consistency and reliability are still our key aims, and the whole team has successfully maintained our quiet progress. Next step is to take the fight to Toro Rosso and BMW Sauber and we'll keep on fighting to achieve that. As you know Australia is an important place for me, and I – along with all our fans and Clive's lucky cap - am very much looking forward to seeing Lotus once again on the grid in Melbourne."

The inaugural doctorate was presented to Tony by UTM Pro-Chancellor, YMM Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah, for his contributions to the country, academic excellence and society. The university praised his role in changing the face of aviation and benefitting travelers and economies locally and in the region. Furthermore, Tony's recent ventures into the world of Formula One™ with the ever-progressing Lotus Racing team, shows innovation of a different level.

UTM Vice Chancellor Professor Datuk Ir Dr. Zaini Ujang said, "We honour Dato' Sri Tony with the doctorate for his achievement with AirAsia, the pioneer of low fares in Malaysia. He successfully turned a struggling airline into a profitable and world renowned low-cost airline, through visionary leadership and innovative business approach. We also praise him for being a keen contributor to academic development in UTM, through his involvement with the Global Outreach Program, providing graduates with academic exposure plus training and research opportunities overseas."

Under the Lotus Racing Team Prinicpal's leadership, AirAsia has grown into a world-class and innovative brand with its revolutionary low fares, premium products and high quality services. After taking over the then struggling airline in late 2001, Tony and his management grew the airline which has now flown more than 85 million guests and linking cities across Asia Pacific. From a fleet of two aircraft, one destination and staff of 250, the AirAsia Group now operates a fleet of 85 aircraft, 113 routes to 60 destinations, and a staff of 7,000.

The airline has invested millions of dollars in quality improvement measures that include the running of its world-class training center, the AirAsia Academy, which implements trainings to ensure high quality service and supports new knowledge acquisition.

Tony was overjoyed to receive the recognition, thanked UTM for the honour and dedicated the moment to his staff and AirAsia's culture of innovation.

Tony said, "I would like to convey my utmost gratitude to UTM for the honour bestowed on me, in the conferring of this honorary doctorate. It is certainly a true honour when a highly respected institution like UTM affirms all the years of hard work and commitment of the team at AirAsia. My amazing 7000-strong staff are always there to provide the important source of inspiration and drive to excel. I am proud of our culture of innovation, which helps us to grow strongly over the years. Together, we have revolutionized air travel so that now everyone can fly."

With AirAsia, travelers are able to enjoy great flight frequencies and a route network that spans across the ASEAN region (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines), Australia, China, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Through low-cost long-haul affiliate AirAsia X, which Fernandes founded, AirAsia guests are also able to connect to more destinations in Australia, northern China, Taiwan and the UK.

Heikki Kovalainen - 18th: "The second session was much better for me, because the car functioned very well and we had the differential working 100%. The car felt really really good and we were very pleased with the way it was behaving. Obviously the rain disrupted things a little bit, but everyone was in the same boat. So, we're well prepared, and we're just going to try to maintain the reliability that we've achieved so far. Overall we're in really good shape."

Mike Gascoyne, Lotus Racing Chief Technical Officer: "Obviously the second session was affected by rain, which made it difficult, but we were able to run both types of tyre and get a feeling for how they both behave. Overall not a bad day - we got through most of our program, despite the conditions in the second session, so I'm pretty pleased.

Jarno Trulli (Lotus-Cosworth T127-03): "It's been a bit of a difficult day because we lost a bit of time this morning, and unfortunately this afternoon the track was pretty wet so we couldn't really find a good set up. When I went out I had a few issues with understeer but, though it'll be a little difficult tomorrow, we'll see what we can learn in final practice before qualifying starts."

Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus-Cosworth T127-01): "The second session was much better for me, because the car functioned very well and we had the differential working 100%. The car felt really really good and we were very pleased with the way it was behaving. Obviously the rain disrupted things a little bit, but everyone was in the same boat. So, we're well prepared, and we're just going to try to maintain the reliability that we've achieved so far. Overall we're in really good shape."

Mike Gascoyne, Lotus Racing Chief Technical Officer: "Obviously the second session was affected by rain, which made it difficult, but we were able to run both types of tyre and get a feeling for how they both behave. Overall not a bad day – we got through most of our program, despite the conditions in the second session, so I'm pretty pleased.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps

1. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:25.801 13

2. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:26.076 + 0.275 16

3. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:26.248 + 0.447 22

4. Schumacher Mercedes 1:26.511 + 0.710 16

5. Petrov Renault 1:26.732 + 0.931 26

6. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:26.832 + 1.031 29

7. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:26.834 + 1.033 22

8. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1:26.835 + 1.034 17

9. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:26.904 + 1.103 25

10. Rosberg Mercedes 1:26.956 + 1.155 22

11. Kubica Renault 1:27.108 + 1.307 28

12. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1:27.108 + 1.307 25

13. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:27.455 + 1.654 23

14. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:27.545 + 1.744 25

15. Alonso Ferrari 1:29.025 + 3.224 20

16. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:29.134 + 3.333 19

17. Massa Ferrari 1:29.591 + 3.790 21

18. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1:29.860 + 4.059 15

19. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:30.510 + 4.709 43

20. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1:30.695 + 4.894 17

21. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:32.117 + 6.316 9

22. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 2

23. Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 1

24. Senna HRT-Cosworth

Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus-Cosworth T127-01): 26 laps, best time 1.31.654: “First session was good - pretty much how we were planning to do it. We had a little problem with the differential but we managed to work around it. It meant that the car wasn’t quite performing 100% but it’s no big deal, and we were able to put some good laps in and check the car, the balance and the tyres and we’re pretty happy about it – all in all I feel very comfortable in the car.”

Jarno Trulli (Lotus-Cosworth T127-03) 13 laps, best time 1.31.654: “We had a small issue but in the end we put in two good runs which meant we could check the balance and the tyres. It’s good to be back in Melbourne and running and I’m looking forward to having a better session this afternoon.”

Pos Driver Team Time Laps

1. Kubica Renault 1:26.927 22

2. Rosberg Mercedes 1:27.126 + 0.199 18

3. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:27.482 + 0.555 22

4. Massa Ferrari 1:27.511 + 0.584 18

5. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:27.686 + 0.759 23

6. Alonso Ferrari 1:27.747 + 0.820 21

7. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:27.793 + 0.866 22

8. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:28.014 + 1.087 21

9. Petrov Renault 1:28.114 + 1.187 25

10. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1:28.192 + 1.265 18

11. di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1:28.537 + 1.610 25

12. Schumacher Mercedes 1:28.550 + 1.623 19

13. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:28.572 + 1.645 21

14. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:28.683 + 1.756 22

15. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1:29.465 + 2.538 13

16. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:29.712 + 2.785 18

17. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:30.249 + 3.322 26

18. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:31.588 + 4.661 5

19. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1:31.652 + 4.725 13

20. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1:31.654 + 4.727 26

21. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1:32.831 + 5.904 25

22. Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 1:33.401 + 6.474 24

23. Senna HRT-Cosworth 1:34.251 + 7.324 19

24. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:34.924 + 7.998 8

"It's very good to come here, the Australians are always very very friendly people. At the gate there were hundreds of people lined up waiting for the drivers to arrive and it's such a festival atmosphere. The weather always seems to be great here too, usually sunny, and it's good to come from the European winter to the sunshine and enjoy the city. It's a great city, so many cool restaurants and there's always plenty to do, so you could never get bored here.

"Albert Park is a very different circuit in comparison to Bahrain; it's a semi-street circuit, so the surface is different, and the grip - especially on Friday morning - will be quite poor initially, but will improve quite a lot throughout the weekend, so we'll need to keep on top of that and perhaps adjust the set up a little bit. Again, with a street circuit, the walls are very close to the track so you have to be up to it – you can't just brake as late as possible and miss the apex and then try a bit better and brake a little earlier. You've got to go little by little and hopefully nail it in qualifying.

"You've got to use every bit of the track, every millimetre of the circuit. It looks more dramatic from the outside, but we're used to it. Maximise as much as possible so you've got more room to get quickly through the next corner. "

"Then I flew into Australia on Sunday night, so I'm still a little bit jetlagged – it's a pretty hard trip coming over here – the ten hour time difference means it's always difficult to adapt, but we just have to get on with it.

"On previous visits over here I've made a few trips out to the countryside, having a look at the local vineyards and enjoying the weather. I love coming here - Australia's a great country with great people, so I always enjoy myself here. It's also good to try some good wines, some different local varieties, but I still prefer my own wine.....

"On the track itself – it's very important here to have good braking, good stability and really solid traction. There aren't so many high speed corners here – it's all about braking and accelerating out of slow speed corners, and as it's a bit bumpy you really have to have good braking points and good braking stability from the car. All in all I'm looking forward to building on the result in Bahrain, learning more about the car and enjoying the weekend."

"Obviously doing all that and then coming straight to Australia, having to deal with the jetlag, the distance and the time difference isn't easy, especially as you get older, but it is part and parcel of the job and you just have to get on with it.

"One thing I really have enjoyed has been the feedback to the tweets we put out over the race weekend in Bahrain. Tony Fernandes has said he wants us to be very open as a team, and do things a little differently, so we've started doing that with Twitter and it's something we'll do more of in the future.

"Turning attention to Melbourne – the circuit here is not often used for motor racing, there are some bumps around the track and it's pretty hard on brakes. We know the changes in setup we need to make and we have a couple of aero updates here which should bring a tenth or two, so overall we're looking forward to the weekend."

Kicking off with his thoughts on Bahrain and Australia is Tony Fernandes, Lotus Racing Team Principal, who will be flying in on Saturday night to join the team for the race on Sunday: "Australia is a special place for me – it's where I spent my gap year when I was younger, where I did a lot of work in the music business, and learnt a huge amount about that industry, and where Air Asia X has a very strong stake. The whole weekend will be great, but Sunday will be a special day for me and the many Australian Lotus owners when we see the T127 on track and mixing it with the world's best. After our great start in Bahrain we are continuing to stay realistic, and in Melbourne we are again aiming to finish and learn as much as we can in our ever deepening quest to get to the top. I can't wait to get there!"

Jarno Trulli (Lotus Racing chassis T127/3) "I made a good start and avoided the accident at the second corner but found myself in the gravel so at this stage I was nearly last, but then I started picking up pace and catching the people in front. The car was understeering quite a lot and I couldn't really predict the balance so at the pitstop the team, who did a really good job, changed the front wing setting and I started pushing again and putting in some good laps. At the end of the race I had a hydraulic problem so I just had to get it to the end of the race. I'm really happy and proud for the team because in six months every single target we have fixed we have met so it's really good, and, as Tony said, one day Lotus will win and I hope to be here when we do."

Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus Racing chassis T127/1) "It was a good race for our team - to get both cars to the finish is a great achievement. My car didn't have a single problem, I know Jarno did and managed to nurse his car to the end, but the primary goal was to get both cars to the end and we achieved that. So far the team has reached every goal we set ourselves so that is fantastic. In terms of my race, I had a good start and was battling with a lot of guys we didn't think we'd be fighting with. My tyres were fine, and the pitstop was good, but I lost a bit of time whilst letting cars past, and we'll look at the strategy for Australia to work around that better. I really enjoyed driving the car, it felt really good and it was good to push. Everybody in the team should be really happy but now the honeymoon is over and we need to start working on better results."

Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne said "I'm very very proud of the whole team. Everyone here, and back in Hingham. Firstly I have to say thank you to both drivers. They drove great races – Jarno struggling early on but when he changed to the soft tyre he was much more competitive. Apologies to Heikki because he may have suffered from the strategy, and apologies to Jarno because he had a hydraulics problem and he had to slow down to get the car to the finish, but overall a great result."

Happiest man of all was Team Principal Tony Fernandes who said "I'm completely over the moon! I cannot describe the feeling. Six months of work and to have both cars finish is just unbelievable. We're thrilled, we're happy and the spirit in the team is fantastic. I'm really proud of Jarno and of Heikki and everyone here. It's a great start and better than I could have dreamt of. We wanted to finish the race and to do so ahead of established teams is fantastic.

"From here we keep going. Before the race Clive Chapman gave me Colin Chapman's old Lotus cap and said 'when you win the first race you'll be the man to throw this up in the air like my Dad used to.' That meant a lot to me, it was a wonderful gesture and it's like handing over the mantle of one of motor racing's great dynasties"

Visitors to the Lotus Racing garage before the race included FIA President Jean Todt and Michelle Yeoh, but the day began with Tony Fernandes giving the team a stirring speech to thank everyone for the hard work so far, and lay out the challenge ahead, saying "The last six months have shown that if you dream you can achieve, but now it's not about being the best of the new teams, it's about making a serious challenge for the very top." With a start like this, who could blame him for pushing for something truly amazing.

PRESS RELEASE

Bahrain, 13th March 2010

LOTUS RACING BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING REPORT

Saturday in Bahrain saw Lotus Racing compete for the first time in qualifying with a host of famous faces dropping by and watching the action from the team's pit and hospitality suite, among them former Lotus stars Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti and Nigel Mansell. Qualifying itself was much as the team had anticipated, with Jarno Trulli finishing 20th on 1.59.852 and Heikki Kovalainen 21st on 2.00.313.

Both drivers gave their thoughts after the session, with Jarno saying: "All in all not too bad considering the amount of running we had this morning. We had some bad luck this weekend but the team has operated very well, in a very professional way, and we just need a bit more time to make the step forward we need in terms of performance. Tomorrow we need to try and finish the race, collect some useful data to find out more about what is right and wrong with the way the car behaves, and make that our main aim – finishing."

Heikki Kovalainen added "Pretty much what we expected. The car was very reliable, which is good, and the performance was roughly where we knew we'd be. I'm reasonably happy – it probably isn't the best qualifying lap I've ever done, and maybe I didn't get everything out of it I should have done, but we have a good base to work from tomorrow. In practice yesterday the car felt like it would be good over long runs, and with the good reliability we have had we'll see what happens tomorrow. The most important thing is to finish the race, and then we'll see where we are."

Mike Gascoyne, Lotus Racing Chief Technical Officer commented: "It's a little bit mixed emotions today – we wanted to be the best of the new teams, and we just missed out on that by a fraction, but as the last of the new teams to have been given an entry, only six months ago, it's a fantastic effort by the whole team to have finished our first qualifying session. We now look forward to the race and with the strength of our reliability, and two very experienced race drivers, now it's all about finishing."

Having arrived yesterday, Team Principal Tony Fernandes was at the track and was very proud to see the incredible efforts of everyone in the team over the last six months finally taking shape, saying "I'm happy, very very happy. It was fantastic to see Lotus back on the grid after a 16 year absence, and with the potential for so many things to have gone wrong, it's just great to have finished our first qualifying session. Jarno broke the two minute mark and that's a great achievement in itself."

Giving his thoughts on the motor racing giants that came by the Lotus Racing garage, he added "It was great to see Emerson, Mario and Nigel today. It shows we have credibility and it's a great endorsement from these legends that they see what we're doing and, in whatever way, want to be a part of it. The dream continues and long may it last!"

The morning session saw the team complete 36 laps in total, with both Heikki (21 laps) and Jarno (15 laps) completing their planned programs and stepping out of their respective cars satisfied with their morning's work. As track temperatures climbed to nearly 50° after lunch they both returned to work, Jarno notching up another 14 laps and Heikki 23 more and testing aero upgrades that had been fitted over the lunch break. Heikki's best time of the afternoon session was 2.00.873 and Jarno 2.00.990.

Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne gave his thoughts on the team's first outing of the race season, saying "A good day for the team after a very long night preparing the cars for today. Everyone worked very hard and it was satisfying to see us first out on track and then put in a solid performance throughout the day. We tried an aero upgrade this afternoon and we'll look at the results of that in this afternoon's debrief, but now we're looking forward to putting in another professional performance tomorrow in qualifying."

Thoughts now turn to tomorrow's qualifying session and the forthcoming race, with Team Principal Tony Fernandes arriving in Bahrain to add his support to the Lotus Racing team's efforts on track.

By 3am on Saturday morning Lotus Racing had finally finished packing up the six airfreight boxes needed for the journey to Bahrain and the beginning of the 2010 Formula One™ season. Two cars and a 60-strong team have now made their way to the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Bahrain International Circuit for the first race of much anticipated 2010 season.

On 12^th September 2009 Lotus Racing gained entry onto the grid. As the team gears up for the first Grand Prix, the whole team, including the drivers Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen, remain upbeat and honest about their expectations for the first few races. Trulli commented, "It would be nice to score a point, but it is not going to be easy. We have to be realistic."

Chief Technical Officer, Mike Gascoyne said, "Our test season was extremely productive - in general we've had very good reliability, and the team is in very good shape going to the first race."

Lotus Racing remain confident of their continuing progress. Team Principle Tony Fernandes commented, "We are all looking forward to Bahrain; to have Lotus Racing on the grid will be a momentous occasion for all involved and, indeed, for our fans, whose support has been absolutely fantastic since we launched just under six months ago. Yes we are a little slower than the major leading teams, however we will get there, with passion, hard work and a clear vision - our aim for this first Grand Prix will be to finish and steadily but surely improve, race by race."

Lotus Racing will spend the week preparing in Bahrain and look forward to hitting the track in anger for the first practice session on Friday, exactly six months to the day after gaining their entry place into 2010 Formula One™ World Championship.

Lotus Racing and CNN International have today announced a partnership deal that sees the newest Formula One™ team entering into a long-term agreement with the world's leading news network. CNN's world famous logos will feature on the T127 race cars, the drivers' overalls and on all team clothing.

The deal will be managed by CNN's commercial 'Partner Solutions Group' and is led by Rani Raad, senior vice president CNN International Advertising Sales.

"The combination of two such iconic and aspirational global brands fits perfectly with CNN International's worldwide reach and brand positioning," said Raad. "This unique partnership with Lotus Racing takes CNN International into a new era of marketing and promotions and puts us in front of a worldwide audience of millions."

A delighted Lotus Racing Team Principal Tony Fernandes commented: "We are very proud to welcome CNN into the Lotus Racing family. It is a sign of the positive impact we have already made in the global business market that such a prestigious brand, familiar to millions around the world as the definitive source of news and current affairs, has made the decision to partner with us. The whole team and I are looking forward to working with CNN in the months and years to come on some very exciting campaigns."

A productive day for Lotus Racing as Jarno Trulli took the Lotus Cosworth T127 challenger onto the Barcelona track and completed another 70 laps. With strong sunshine and dry weather conditions, the Lotus Racing team were again first out on track and ready to begin testing, developing and improving the car.

Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne gave his end of day round up; "It was a productive day in terms of set up direction with Jarno. We were able to identify some problems with the set up in the car and establish clear direction to improve it. We still have a long way to go, and a lot of time to come from the car.

" We had a couple of minor hydraulics issues which stopped the car on track, but nothing major, so all in all it was a productive day and we're aiming to continue in the same vein tomorrow."

Jarno Trulli again picks up the wheel for day three of testing, and the team is looking forward to developing and progressing the car. Heikki Kovalainen then takes over on Sunday, for the final day of testing.

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer, commented "Another productive day with Jarno; over a hundred laps completed with no real mechanical issues and Jarno was able to complete the full race distance in the mix of wet and dry weather.

"We successfully completed our whole programme with the changeable conditions and have had two very useful days with Jarno in the car, with a very clear set up direction from him. Now we're looking forward to further refining the balance of the car with Heikki tomorrow."

Heikki takes the hot seat for the final day's testing before the season starts in earnest in Bahrain.

Hot weather in Barcelona provided the backdrop for the final day of testing on track for the Lotus Racing team before the 2010 Formula 1™ season kicks off in earnest. Heikki Kovalainen took the Lotus Cosworth T127 for its final session as the test season drew to a close and completed a total of 65 laps in the five month old challenger. After some developmental mechanical and weight balance changes, the team were happy to see yet more improvement in the car's reliability and pace.

Chief Technical Officer, Mike Gascoyne remarked "It was a game of two halves as they say; we had a good morning where we were able to complete all our plans but a problem with the programme change on the gearbox delayed us in the afternoon, which meant we weren't able to do as much running as we wanted. Overall, however, the test has been extremely productive - in general we've had very good reliability, and the team is in very good shape going to the first race.

"Considering the length of time we've had to work on the project it's a fantastic effort from the whole team. Everyone has worked exceptionally hard over the two tests and we now have to work on the pace of the car and improve that, but it's been a tremendous effort from the whole team and I'm very proud of them."

The test has confirmed Lotus Racing's belief that they have a reliable car, ready for its debut in Bahrain. Consistency and completion of races are the key goals for the first few Grand Prix, until further aero developments - scheduled for the Barcelona GP - allow the team to begin to flex their muscles and really utilise their experience and talents in the season ahead.

LOTUS RACING DAY ONE BARCELONA TEST

76 more laps for Fairuz Fauzy on the first day of the Barcelona test marks another satisfactory day for Lotus Racing. In dry, sunny conditions the team completed all its objectives for the day and are now looking forward to seeing Jarno Trulli take over driving duties tomorrow and Saturday.

Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne gave his thoughts on the day's on track action, saying "It was a very productive day - 76 laps with no mechanical worries on the car. In the morning we conducted some engine LAMDA running which we completed successfully. We ran through a series of system set up checks, completed our first starts and evaluated a number of other control systems on the car, as well as monitoring temperatures and pressures throughout the car.

"All in all this was a successful day both on the track and we ticked off a lot of behind the scenes tasks ahead of the first race. Fairuz did a very good job today, with no mistakes, and we were able to complete our whole program."

Jarno Trulli takes over tomorrow with more dry running ahead of the Lotus Racing team.

During his tour Tun Dr. Mahathir was given a detailed explanation of the different aspects of a modern Formula One team factory. He was then seated in the Lotus Cosworth T127 Chassis 02 while the engine was fired up, giving the team's esteemed guest a very rare insight into the conditions the team's drivers, Malaysia's Fairuz Fauzy, Italy's Jarno Trulli and Finland's Heikki Kovalainen work in at races and tests.

Tun Dr. Mahathir created the vision for the establishment and growth of motorsport in Malaysia, and therefore the birth of the Lotus Racing team. This visionary spirit was the driving force for the establishment of the Malaysian Grand Prix, held at the world-renowned Sepang International Circuit which was also created and built under his Premiership.

Tony Fernandes and fellow Lotus Racing shareholders Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin were honoured that Tun Dr. Mahathir oversaw such an important milestone in the team's development, saying "It is very exciting for us and the team that Tun Dr. Mahathir has been able to come to Norfolk to officially open our factory. He is the Father of motor racing in Malaysia, the visionary behind the birth of the Sepang International Circuit and the Malaysian Grand Prix and has given us all the inspiration to reach for the skies and achieve our dreams – as such it is a tremendous honour for us to welcome him here and we are extremely proud he has opened our factory today. "

Lotus Racing completed its first official test last week in Jerez and now moves to Barcelona for the final official test before the season kicks off in earnest in Bahrain from March 12^th – 14^th.

After adjusting quickly to his new office, Jarno set to work and by the time he had completed his targeted number of laps he said, "It was a very positive day. I'm really happy about my first day testing with Lotus Racing and I was very lucky to have everything right on the car today with no major issues. We were able to put a lot of mileage on the car and get a lot of information out of it. I had the chance to start developing a real feel for the car and it's good to be here."

Lotus Racing Chief Technical Officer summed up the final day in Jerez, and the total four days in Spain, saying: "An excellent day today, concentrating on reliability and race pace. 141 laps from Jarno is a great effort when you consider it's his first day driving this year and also a great effort from the team who worked all night to get the car prepared. Overall it's been a very encouraging four days. The main aim of the test was reliability and over the last two days of dry running we have found some directions in set up that will enable us to concentrate on the pace of the car in Barcelona."

Wet conditions in Jerez greeted Lotus Racing as the team arrived on track with Heikki Kovalainen taking over driving duties for Thursday and Friday. First out on track at exactly 9am, Heikki completed his installation lap and returned to the pits to give positive initial feedback to the team about his first drive in the Lotus Cosworth T127.

30 laps later and a small mistake saw the Finn leave the track, bringing the team's day to an early close, but not before useful data had been accumulated and more insights into the car's performance had given Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne reasons to be positive. "Unfortunately a small off and a lack of spare parts curtailed the amount of laps we were able to do today, but fortunately we've got spare parts arriving this evening. Up to that point we had got on top of some reliability issues from the previous day and the car was running very smoothly. Although we have lost some track time, the changing conditions made it very difficult, so we haven't lost too much and we'll be ready to continue with Heikki in the morning."

Heikki added his thoughts, saying: "My initial feeling from the car is good - it fundamentally feels right. I'm disappointed the day came to an early end, but feel good about the team and I'm looking forward to getting back in the car tomorrow."

Team Principal Tony Fernandes made his first visit to the Jerez test to see the Lotus Racing team in action and left feeling very positive: "Still a great day in many ways. You get the highs and the lows and you get the reality but overall I'm happy. The team is very motivated, there's a lot of good morale and, while it's unfortunate Heikki went off, these things happen. Something else I'm very pleased with is the reaction from the public to Lotus Racing. We're going out there to tell the world what we're up to and, judging by the phenomenal Twitter response we have had, we have already made an impact on the fans."

Lotus Racing has enjoyed a successful first day of testing at Jerez with driver Fairuz Fauzy completing 76 laps without problems, and completing the 300 kms needed to gain his Super Licence, subject to FIA approval.

The team was among the first cars on track in wet conditions, and, despite a lack of power steering, due to supplier issues, Fairuz successfully fulfilled all his and the team's objectives for the day.

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer, said "It's been an excellent day for the whole team. Firstly I want to say a big thank you to Fairuz who did an excellent job today with the first proper day of running. With so much going on, such as doing systems checks, it can be a pretty disjointed day for the driver. When you add into that the changeable conditions, and also the fact we were running without power steering today, it could have been a tricky day for Fairuz but he didn't put a foot wrong so well done to him and a big thank you.

"With the car we had no major reliability issues – a few niggles with overheating which were quickly solved and then the car ran pretty faultlessly. The power steering issue will be fixed for tomorrow so all in all a very successful first day and a busy evening ahead preparing the car for tomorrow."

Fairuz Fauzy was also delighted with his first day behind the wheel of the Lotus Cosworth T127, saying "First of all I want to thank the team. To arrive here and complete 76 laps is fantastic. It was a big challenge, both to complete the 300kms I need for the Super Licence, and with no power steering it was difficult to drive in the dry, not so bad in the wet, so I was driving a bit conservatively but I am just very pleased."

Finland's Heikki Kovalainen takes over driving duties for the next two days (Thursday and Friday) before Jarno Trulli joins the action on Saturday.