GA_googleAddSlot("ca-pub-1197233282945943", "Star_Sports_Skyscraper");

Sports

Published: Friday October 16, 2009 MYT 9:00:00 AM

Malaysia's Lotus on track to have car ready by Feb

SAO PAULO: TEAM LOTUS ON THE LOOSE: The Lotus F1 Racing team making its debut next year was on track to have a car ready by February.

This week saw the squad put a scale model through a wind-tunnel test.

Lotus was approved a month ago to compete in 2010.

Mike Gascoyne, the chief technical officer, said the wind-tunnel test was an "exciting" milestone, given the amount of work that has already happened on the more bureaucratic aspects of building the team, like getting finances arranged and management in place.

"Once our entry was confirmed in mid-September, we were able to accelerate our recruitment and car development process and this is really where we are at now," he said in a statement.

Gascoyne said private financing from Malaysia has been key to building the team, which is owned by Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes, chief executive of low-cost airline AirAsia.

Technical partnerships are in place with Fondtech for car aerodynamics, gearbox specialists Xtrac and an engine supply agreement is finalized with Cosworth.

Despite the short amount of time Lotus will have to put a car together before the first race in Bahrain next March, Gascoyne was confident all will fall in place.

"There is no escaping the challenges that we face simply to get the car ready for the first race of next season, but I am confident that we are up to the task in hand," he said. - AP


Latest sports news from AP-Wire

  • E-mail this story
  • Print this story

Sports Poll