Racing under a Malaysian licence, the team was initially known as Lotus Racing and later Team Lotus, operating out of Hingham, in the UK. The team competed in the 2010 and 2011 seasons but failed to earn any championship points during its brief time on the grid.
Notable Team Members and Drivers
Tony Fernandes: Team Principal and leader of the consortium that established Lotus Racing.
Jarno Trulli: Former Toyota driver, selected as one of the team’s drivers for their debut season.
Heikki Kovalainen: Former McLaren driver, also chosen to race for Lotus Racing in their inaugural season.
Securing its spot in Formula 1 following the exit of the BMW team in 2009, a consortium of Malaysian entrepreneurs, headed by Tony Fernandes, created the team under the Lotus name with permission from Proton, the owner of Lotus Cars.
Established as Lotus Racing, the team was managed by 1Malaysia Racing Team, a project financed privately and co-owned by the Tune Group and Naza Group in collaboration with the Malaysian Government. Dubbed the 1Malaysia F1 Team, this initiative was part of a broader national campaign to foster unity among the Malaysian population.
After the team’s late entry for the 2010 season, after being announced as a replacement to BMW, the team’s ambition was to match Brawn GP’s successful debut in 2009, acknowledging, however, that this would pose a significant challenge since Brawn GP already had a race-ready car and only required financial backing.
Lotus Racing revealed their lineup for their inaugural season, selecting former Toyota driver Jarno Trulli and McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen as their drivers, with Malaysian Fairuz Fauzy taking the role of test and reserve driver. The team’s 2010 car, the T127, underwent a private shakedown at Silverstone by Fauzy on 9 February 2010 before its Formula 1 race debut at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix. Despite ambitions to replicate Brawn GP’s success, the team saw little of their own, finishing with zero points in the constructors’ championship come the end of the season.
Following the termination of their licence to run the Lotus name from Proton, the team were forced to change names and acquired the iconic Team Lotus brand for the 2011 season. Not to be mistaken for the original 1954–1994 F1 team, Team Lotus.
Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen continued as the team’s full-time drivers in 2011, with Karun Chandhok joining as the team’s reserve driver alongside third driver Luiz Razia and test drivers Davide Valsecchi and Ricardo Teixeira. The team failed to score points for a second season running and finished 10th in the constructors’ championship.
Lotus Racing Legacy
Beyond 2011, and facing legal challenges from Proton, Fernandes expanded his motorsport interests by acquiring Caterham Cars. This led to a significant rebranding effort for the 2012 Formula 1 season, with Fernandes’s team transitioning from Lotus Racing/Team Lotus to Caterham F1, while Renault adopted the Lotus name. Renault would compete under the Lotus banner from 2012 to 2015 as Lotus F1.
Lotus Racing Formula One World Championship Records
| First entry | 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Races entered | 38 |
| Constructors’ Championships | 0 |
| Drivers’ Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Final entry | 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Lotus Racing Constructors’ Championship Results
| Year | Name | Car | Drivers | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Lotus Racing | T127 | Jarno Trulli Heikki Kovalainen | 0 | 10th |
| 2011 | Team Lotus | T128 | Jarno Trulli Heikki Kovalainen Karun Chandhok | 0 | 10th |