Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Lotus




Full Team Name:
Lotus F1 Team
Base:
Enstone, UK
Team Principal:
Eric Boullier
Technical Chief:
James Allison
Drivers:
K Räikkönen

R Grosjean
Test Drivers:
J D'Ambrosio, N Prost, D Valsecchi
Chassis:
E21
Engine:
Renault RS27
Tyres:
Pirelli
First Season:
1981
World Championships:
2








2012
Team name officially changes from Renault to Lotus. F1 returnee Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean score several podiums over the course of the season and are consistently on the leading pace, but the team has to wait until Abu Dhabi for sole Raikkonen-inspired victory.

2011
Renault sell final shares to Genii Capital but continue engine supply. Group Lotus become title sponsors. Star driver Kubica misses season after rally crash. Replaced by Heidfeld then Senna. Bright start, but R31 with innovative forward exhausts ultimately disappoints.

2010
After indifferent pace in pre-season testing, R30 quickly emerges as podium contender in hands of Robert Kubica. Team mate Vitaly Petrov, Russia's first F1 driver, puts in stirring early performances, but lacks Kubica's speed and consistency. Team finish fifth overall.

2009
Lose late '08 momentum. Even Alonso struggles to convert occasional strong grid slots into results. Piquet dropped in August, replaced by reserve Grosjean. Flavio Briatore & Pat Symonds leave over conspiracy to cause deliberate crash in '08 Singapore race.

2008
Fernando Alonso returns to partner rookie Nelson Piquet. Helps transform R28 from lacklustre performer into a race winner, with back-to-back victories in Singapore and Japan, boosting the resurgent team to fourth in the standings with 80 points.

2007
Departure of Fernando Alonso accompanied by marked decline in team's fortunes, finishing third overall, with 150 points less than in '06. After shaky start, rookie Kovalainen overshadows veteran Fisichella and scores team's only podium in Japan.

2006
Win seven of first nine races, then lose ground to Ferrari in second half of season after controversial mass-damper system declared illegal. Nevertheless hold on to retain both drivers' and constructors' titles, before Fernando Alonso departs for McLaren.

2005
Dominate early part of season and go on to win both titles, despite superior pace of McLaren in later races. Fernando Alonso crowned youngest-ever champion, while Renault become first mainstream automaker to take constructors' honours.

2004
Win the Monaco Grand Prix with Jarno Trulli, but then part company with the Italian with three races to go after a run of poor performances. Draft in Jacques Villeneuve as his replacement. Not enough to prevent BAR edging them for second in the championship.

2003
Emerge as a regular, if not quite constant, threat to the big three teams. Fernando Alonso takes two pole positions, plus victory in Hungary. Finish a lonely fourth in the constructors' championship.

2002
'New' Renault team enjoy a strong debut season with a run of points finishes giving them fourth place in the constructors' championship.

2001
Jenson Button joins line-up alongside Fisichella. A difficult year sees the duo score 10 points and just one podium finish in Belgium, courtesy of the Italian.

2000
Benetton team announce they will become the official Renault works squad from 2002. Briatore returns as team principal.

1999
A second successive season without a victory for Fisichella and Wurz leaves the team sixth overall.

1998
A lacklustre campaign from new line-up Giancarlo Fisichella and Alex Wurz. Two podiums for Fisichella in Monaco and Canada equates to fifth in the standings.

1997
Despite one win, courtesy of Gerhard Berger in Germany, it's another tough season for the team. Third again in the constructors' championship leads to Briatore being ousted from management.

1996
The loss of Schumacher, who leaves to join Ferrari, hits the team hard. They record no victories and 10 podiums to finish the year third in the standings.

1995
Quick Renault engines, an equally quick car and Schumacher make for another dominant year for the team. They secure both titles with the German and team mate Johnny Herbert scoring 11 wins in total.

1994
The B194 is the class of the field and Schumacher dominates, with eight wins bringing him the drivers' title. There's controversy too, with the German's clash with Damon Hill and technological indiscretions making headlines.

1993
A tricky season for the team but Schumacher claims one win in Portugal to secure third in the constructors' championship.

1992
Michael Schumacher joins Martin Brundle to form an all-new line-up. Schumacher gives the team a competitive edge and wins for the first time in Belgium. Third in the standings.

1991
Despite a cunning win from Piquet in Japan, the team's high expectations are disappointed amid managerial wrangling. Drop back to fourth in the constructors' championship.

1990
Nelson Piquet joins line up but it's a largely difficult season. Piquet, however, claims two wins, in Japan and Australia, where he finishes just ahead of team mate Moreno. Third in constructors' standings.

1989
Flavio Briatore appointed commercial director. One victory for Nannini in Japan, but only after Ayrton Senna is disqualified for his clash with Prost. Fourth in the constructors' championship.

1988
Fabi replaced by Alessandro Nannini. The revised line-up scores 39 points but seven podium finishes means the team are third in the constructors' standings.

1987
Swap to Ford engines and Thierry Boutsen joins line-up alongside Fabi. Although they fail to win a race, two podiums (one apiece) secures the team fifth in the championship.

1986
The restyled team joins the grid as Benetton. Teo Fabi and Gerhard Berger drive the BMW-engined car with Berger scoring the team's first win in Mexico. Finish sixth in standings.

1985
Tyre supply and budget issues limit team to one-car entry at most races. Fail to score and drop to 16th overall. Bought out by sponsors Benetton ahead of '86 season.

1984
Score first podiums courtesy of newcomer Ayrton Senna, who finishes second to Alain Prost in rain-halted Monaco thriller and third at team's home race at Brands Hatch. Seventh in constructors' championship.

1982 - 1983
Form slowly improves. Warwick sets fastest lap at 1982 Dutch Grand Prix and scores team's first points with fourth place at same round in '83 as they take ninth in constructors' championship.

1981
F1 debut season for UK-based Toleman Motorsport, founded by Ted Toleman and Alex Hawkridge. Qualify for only two Grands Prix - with Brian Henton in Italy and Derek Warwick in Las Vegas.


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