The Lotus F1 Team has confirmed it will switch from Renault to Mercedes power for the 2015 season and beyond after signing a “long-term deal”.
The team has struggled for pace this season and the team have put that down to a chassis design flaw and an underpowered engine. It hopes that a fresh start next season will see them back at the front.
The Enstone outfit has used Renault power ever since it was owned by the French company between 2002 and 2010 before changing ownership and name.
Speaking about the announcement, Lotus CEO Matthew Carter said: “We are pleased to have been chosen by Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in a significant long term deal.
“We intend to return to the front of the field with the goals of winning Grands Prix and being a strong championship contender once more and we see this new agreement as one step towards this aim.
“The Mercedes-Benz Power Unit has shown good performance on track and it is our goal to marry this motive force to Enstone’s chassis expertise. It is our desire that the E23 Hybrid, powered by Mercedes-Benz, heralds a new era of success for Enstone. At this juncture we would also like to thank Renault, who have been so closely associated with the team over its history and for the joint success we have achieved together.”
Lotus will replace McLaren as Mercedes third customer when the Woking team switches to Honda next year.
“It was strategically important for Mercedes-Benz to continue to supply three customers throughout this generation of Power Unit, in addition to the primary focus on our Silver Arrows works team, and it was therefore clear that we would be looking for a new customer from 2015,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said. “Lotus F1 Team is an impressive organisation that has delivered competitive on-track performances in recent seasons. We are pleased to welcome them to the Mercedes-Benz family and look forward to building a productive and performant working relationship in the years ahead.”
Andy Cowell, Managing Director of Mercedes’ engine division, added: “We are delighted to welcome Lotus F1 Team as a customer of Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains from the 2015 season. Lotus F1 Team is a strong technical group with excellent facilities and I am confident that together we will deliver a step forward in track performance next year. In 2014, the organisation at Brixworth has demonstrated that it can support three customer teams to the high standards expected of Mercedes-Benz, in addition to our focus on the works Silver Arrows. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to continuing doing so from 2015, as we seek to make further gains in both performance and reliability.”
It’s likely the deal will see Total branding dropped from the Lotus car as the team will switch to Petronas fuel and lubricants.
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