Lotus have announced that Federico Gastaldi has been appointed as deputy team principal immediately ahead of the 2014 Australian Grand Prix.
The Argentinian has been promoted from director of business development, a position he took up in 2010 upon joining the Enstone outfit.
His appointment comes after former team principal Eric Boullier departed for McLaren, putting co-chairman Gerard Lopez in charge.
Speaking about Gastaldi’s promotion, he said: “We are pleased to announce our new deputy team principal. Federico Gastaldi has been a valued friend of the Genii and Enstone families for quite some time. His Enstone history dates back to the Benetton days. He also works with Genii on a number of projects in South America.
“For Lotus F1 Team, Federico was instrumental in nurturing our relationship with PDVSA and he continues to be a vital link for us with Venezuela. In the paddock, Federico’s contact base is exceptional. As a figurehead, no-one better embodies the Lotus F1 Team spirit. His understanding of the sport as a whole is impressive.
“Federico will work closely with myself and the rest of the Genii and Enstone family and we’re confident of a very positive future for all.”
Q&A with Federico Gastaldi
How are you approaching your new role?
It’s a great honour and I’m looking forward to it. I have a long history with Enstone with my previous role of Director of Business Development and then before that in the Benetton days. The team is an exceptional place to be and the depth of talent is amazing. My approach will be to ensure we get the most out of every aspect of Enstone and harness every talent housed there.
What qualities do you bring to the party?
I have worked in many roles in the motorsport arena, from an introduction as a friend and associate of the Benetton family to promoting the Argentinean Grand Prix, to working with drivers to working with Bernie on different projects. I like working with people in and around the paddock as it’s a challenging and rewarding place to be.
What do you consider to be the main strengths of Lotus F1 team?
Our people. They are our main strength and our biggest asset. We have tremendous depth of talent with fantastically experienced workers at all levels who are 100 percent committed to the team.
What do you see as your immediate challenges?
We need to ensure rapid progress with our car for this season. It’s no secret that pre-season preparations have not been as smooth as we’d like but we have confidence that we can turn this situation around very quickly. We need to work as closely as possible with Renault to fulfil our potential. We know it is a big challenge, especially because there is so much technology that is new to everyone, but we know the team can deliver good cars and we will do this in 2014 with Renault.
