Jarno Trulli

Ex-Toyota driver Jarno Trulli and ex-McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen has found a new home in the Lotus Formula One team. Joining the two F1 drivers in the test driver seat is Malaysian driver Fairuz Fauzy.

Lotus’ decision to sign the three drivers was announced formally by the Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak in a conference in Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian-backed team’s team principal Tony Fernandes and the three drivers were present in the event.

Trulli, who’s known in the F1 world as one of the most experienced and most consistent drivers in the sport is delighted to be a part of the team. According to the 35-year-old driver:

“It is a privilege for me to sign for the new Lotus F1 Racing team… I have been impressed by the long-term vision of the team management and technical staff. Tony has set out very ambitious plans and I am ready to help the team achieve these high targets. I am also pleased to be back working alongside (team technical boss) Mike Gascoyne, someone with whom I have enjoyed previous success at other teams. I get on very well with him and I respect his working style. Lotus is a truly iconic and inspirational brand and it is great that the name is back in Formula 1. We will be hoping to draw inspiration from the heritage of Lotus for our team.

“I am also delighted to be racing alongside Heikki, someone who I have enjoyed racing against since 2007, and someone else, like me, who brings valuable experience from his time with two of Formula One’s most established teams. I believe that together, we are among the most competitive pairings on the grid, and we will be determined to bring success to Lotus F1 Racing to repay the faith that Tony and the team have shown in us,” the Italian driver said.

Heikki Kovalainen

Kovalainen, who made his F1 debut as a test driver for Renault back in ’06 is also very excited about his move, saying:

“It’s fantastic to be joining Lotus F1 Racing and I am excited about the challenges that lie ahead… I recently visited our factory in Norfolk, UK and was so impressed by seeing how far the team has come in such a short time since it was launched in September, and by how determined everyone is to meet Tony’s ambitious targets. I knew immediately it would be a fantastic opportunity to help them achieve their goals.

“I believe that appointing two drivers with the experience Jarno and I have shows how determined the team is to go racing in a truly competitive way, and our pairing sends out a very strong message to our competitors,” the 28-year-old driver said.

Fairuz Fauzy

Former Spyker test driver (back in ’07), Fairuz Fauzy, is also thrilled to join the Malaysian-backed team. According to Fauzy:

“To have the chance to join Malaysia’s first fully-fledged Formula One team is very special to me and the highlight of my career so far…I look forward to working with Jarno and Heikki on developing the car and the team in our first season together in Formula 1. I am sure we can do Malaysia as a nation proud, as well as upholding the tradition of such a legendary F1 name such as Lotus,” said Fauzy.

Tony Fernandes also spoke up about the team’s decision to sign the three drivers:

“I am thrilled that we have been able to sign Jarno, Heikki, and Fairuz to drive for Lotus F1 Racing in our debut season. The appointment of Jarno, Heikki, and Fairuz as our race drivers is a testament to the quality of our team, to our ambition and drive, and above all, to our long-term vision of success in Formula One.

“Jarno and Heikki are winners and have proven track records in Formula One, and will be a big asset to us as we look to develop the team and the car throughout 2010. Jarno and Heikki are two extremely versatile drivers who have proven themselves more than capable of achieving solid results no matter how tough the conditions. Having Fairuz on board is also great news. He is undoubtedly the best Malaysian senior driver at the moment and it is a pleasure to welcome him into Malaysia’s Formula One team.

“We only secured our 2010 entry from the FIA in September and already we have our first car in production and have signed two Formula One race winners to drive for us, as well as a home-grown Malaysian driver. Not bad for three months’ hard work! There is more to come from us and we head into the holiday period buoyed by what we have accomplished already but inspired to push the boundaries yet further.”

Strong words from Fernandes. Best of luck to Lotus next year!

Source: Formula1.com

Images: WorldCarFans.com, ManipeF1.com, Formula1.com