Team Lotus will have KERS in 2012, according to team owner and principal Tony Fernandes.
The outfit are one of just three teams not using the boost-system, Virgin and Hispania being the others. The decision is partly due to the cost, but also the technical capability needed to implement the system, given the aforementioned teams being in just their second seasons.
A new sponsorship package with General Electric will provide a much needed cash injection as well as greater technical input, which Fernandes says has driven their decision to include the system next year.
“Without a doubt [we will have KERS],” he told CNN. “Mike Gascoyne and Ansar [Ali] from Caterham cars are up in the global research centre at GE right now and definitely, next year, we will have KERS and probably a lot more things, even down to non-destructive testing [which] we’ve been discussing with GE.
“So it’s a big plus, not only financially, but technologically it’s a big boost.”
The Malaysian businessman also spoke about his ambitious plans with Team Lotus, which he hopes will replicate Red Bull – a team which started as a backmarker just seven years ago, but is now the team to beat.
“We’d 100% like to replicate [Red Bull]. The great thing, five years ago, Red Bull was in the position that we were in. In fact, they were a little bit of a head start because they bought an existing factory from Stewart, so they had quite a big head start, but they were at the back and, five years later, they’re world champions.
“We’re very encouraged by it. You know, in 18 months, we’ve built a factory from nothing. We put the car out in Bahrain after only eight months. And qualifying for us [in Canada] was a fantastic qualification.
“We’re getting closer and closer to midfield. But Red Bull has raised a lot of excitement and there’s a lot of hope for new teams such as us.”
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