Lotus have today confirmed the team will be powered by Renault engines in 2011, ending months of speculation.
The team had previously confirmed they will run Red Bull’s gearbox and transmission, a system which is built around the Renault engine.
Lotus are already the most successful new team of 2010, and this deal should push them further up the grid next season. Team owner, Tony Fernandes, believes the deal proves how serious the teams future ambitions are.
“I am absolutely delighted that we can now officially talk about the partnership with Renault,” said Fernandes. “There has obviously been a great deal of speculation about which engine will be powering our cars from 2011 and now the announcement has been made I think everyone can see just how ambitious we really are.
“The combination of the Renault engine and the Red Bull Technology gearbox and hydraulics gives our design and aero teams a successful, tried and tested platform to work with for next year’s car.
“2010 has been all about building up our team from scratch and in just one year we have laid the foundations for many exciting seasons to come and the partnership with Renault will dramatically accelerate our development plans, both on and off track. That is an important point – we have started a partnership with Renault and, much like taking on experienced drivers in our first year, we will be working with people who know how to win and who will help push us even further forward towards the front of the grid. We are realistic – we know what needs to be done to be challenging for ultimate honours in Formula One and this partnership will play a very important role in helping us push ahead.”
Mike Gascoyne added: “Today’s announcement is the latest confirmation of how far this team wants to go in F1. Having worked with Renault before I know exactly what they will bring to our team and I am delighted that they will be playing an integral role in the next chapter of our story. The engine itself gives our designers, engineers and drivers an excellent platform to work with – it is very drivable, has good reliability and comes with a track support team who have a wealth of experience and knowledge. We are all looking forward to working with Renault and are very excited about the future for our partnership and our team.”
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