Lotus join Indycar in alliance with Takuma Sato and KV Racing
 

!!!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/82097

http://cdn.images.autosport.com/edit...1268499520.jpg

KV seals Lotus alliance for Sato

By Matt Beer Saturday, March 13th 2010, 16:58 GMT

KV Lotus mock-upKV Racing Technology has announced a technical and commercial tie-up with the Lotus brand that will see Takuma Sato's Indycar run in the famous green and yellow Lotus colours from the second round of the championship in St Petersburg.

Sato's Dallara-Honda will carry Lotus-Cosworth decals as part of the new alliance with Group Lotus, which has also allowed Tony Fernandes' new Formula 1 team to use the Lotus title this year. KV co-founder Kevin Kalkhoven is also a co-owner of engine firm Cosworth.

Lotus was last seen in American single seater racing in the 1960s, with Jim Clark winning the 1965 Indianapolis 500 for the marque.

"Racing has always defined Lotus and on many occasions in motorsports history Lotus' numerous innovations have re-defined racing," said Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar.

"It's only fitting that as the Lotus Racing name re-enters Formula 1, we will also race and innovate again in IndyCar. The Lotus name will, once again compete in the top two open-wheel racing series for the passion and enthusiasm of car fans around the globe."

Sato added: "This is fantastic news for everyone. It is exiting for me to be a Lotus driver and I'm really looking forward to great success with this new project."

Badging the spec IRL Honda engine as a Cosworth???? :O

So with this alliance, expect Sato to replace Trulli or Kovaleinen in the Lotus Racing F1 Team in 2011!! http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...lies/smile.gif

That car really needs a nose job! http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...ies/tongue.gif Would be beautiful with a nice round one. Now it looks like it's been punched in the nose by a competitor. http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...lies/smile.gif

irony. Lotus are competing against a Dallara chassis in F1 yet in IndyCar they are using one (or in association of one as it were)

nice to see the british racing green being spread to america and everything, but branding a honda as cosworth is a just silly IMO, its like branding a Tesco's own brand chocolate bar as a Cadbury Dairy Milk bar.

I don't think they are badging the engine. I think they are showing Cosworth as an affiliate sponsor. After all Kevin owns Cosworth.

Gary

It worse than that Ilmor builds the Honda now badged Cosworth on the Dallara Lotus..http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...es/biggrin.gif

About as silly as having a BMW Sauber Ferrari....

ahaha good one!

ah, that makes perfect sense http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...es/biggrin.gif

where did you make the connection that the Honda engine would now be badged a Cosworth....that is a bit of a stretch! Considering that Cosworth was a competitor of Honda's in both F1 and IRL in past years I would hardly thing that they would allow the Cosworth name on their engines.

I think that when the car is shown in the new livery the Cosworth name will be missing, I bet Honda will have had something to say about....

However how about the idea of a Lotus Honda; brings back memories of Senna in a Camel yellow car from the late eighties...

Cosworth is on there because they will be working over the engines in Lotus road cars.

honda logo still at top of the car
the car is lotus-cosworth
http://www.insideline.com/lotus/2010...-cosworth.html

Looks to me like Lotus-Cosworth is a B2B relationship that KK is using to add some $$ to his sponsorship funds. I see nothing about Cosworth badging the engine.

Gary

it is good to see old names come back to AOWR even if it is just as (what seems to be) a B2B sponsorship.

It is ALSO good to see that Kalkhoven is sticking around. At one point, I truly thought he was a mercenary looking to make a quick buck, but if that was the case he would have been gone by now. Maybe it is the JV influence. http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...lies/smile.gif

There's actually a good reason for that though. If Sauber had changed the name of the team this year, he'd miss out on the Bernie Bucks that are due the team for last year's season.

In this case, I guess the team name/branding will be "Lotus-Cosworth? http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...s/confused.gif And the "Lotus-Cosworth" team will be running the Dallara-Honda package. I'm guessing this is a rehash of Kalkhoven's (make believe) Minardi deal?

But as long as it puts another car on the track, I guess it's net/net good.

This would be great news if it was a Lotus car, but a "Lotus" Dallara is just wrong. Imagine if Ferrari resurrected their IndyCar interest and slapped their logos all over a Dallara-Honda too? http://www.motorsportforums.com/images/smilies/s.gif

But yeah, if it funds an extra car then that's all good I guess. Glad I can rant about it here though since I'm giving the IndyCar forum a wide berth until I'm able to watch the Sao Paulo race I recorded.

He likes the sport. He started off a car owner. Unlike Tony, who left, Kevin is still there. Ironic really....

As for the Lotus name, I will be much more excited if they are allowed to have their own chassis in Indy Car...

If KK wasn't taking ride buyer money, he'd be gone too. http://www.motorsportforums.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Well there you go...that is the reality of it. However, I would say the ride buyers HE has are a little more talented than some of them....ahem Milka!