There are increasing rumours that suggest that the Lotus Racing Formula 1 team will switch powerplants for next season, moving from Cosworth to Renault.
British magazine Autosport understands that a deal has been agreed in principle for Lotus to secure a supply of Renault customer V-8 engines for next season; the same deal the Red Bull racing team has.
However, there seems to be a major roadblock as the Malaysian team signed a firm three-year contract with Cosworth and it is believed there is no break clause that would allow Lotus to get out of that unless the British engine supplier was willing to do so.
The British publication indicates that the Lotus team originally wanted to find a new supplier for its gearboxes and transmissions, the Achilles’ heel of the T127.
This season, the gearboxes were supplied by X-Trac. Lotus approached Renault as a transmission supplier but the French company apparently was more than please to supply Lotus with complete engine-gearbox-transmission units from 2011.
It is not clear at the moment whether a financial settlement can be reached for Cosworth to agree to cut short its deal, or whether Lotus will be forced to delay its Renault ambitions.
Renault supplied customers’ V-6 turbo engines to the original Lotus team from 1983 to 1986. Ayrton Senna scored his first victory in Formula 1 at the Grand Prix of Portugal in April 1985 behind the wheel of the Lotus 95T Renault V6 turbo.
Lotus Racing’s Technical Director is Mike Gascoyne, who was Benetton Renault’s technical boss from 2001 to 2003.
As far as the other small teams are concerned (Hispania and Virgin), they could be equipped with hydraulic systems and gearboxes supplied by Williams in 2011.
A spokesman for the independent Grove based team indicated on Tuesday that Williams' gearbox may also be supplied to customer teams.
"We've had enquiries for our hydraulics and gearbox, we're open to supplying it, but nothing has been agreed at this point," he said.
British magazine Autosport understands that a deal has been agreed in principle for Lotus to secure a supply of Renault customer V-8 engines for next season; the same deal the Red Bull racing team has.
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| Ayrton Senna, Lotus-Renault (Photo: WRI2) |
However, there seems to be a major roadblock as the Malaysian team signed a firm three-year contract with Cosworth and it is believed there is no break clause that would allow Lotus to get out of that unless the British engine supplier was willing to do so.
The British publication indicates that the Lotus team originally wanted to find a new supplier for its gearboxes and transmissions, the Achilles’ heel of the T127.
 |
| Mike Gascoyne in discussion with Renault's Jean-François Caubet and Rob White in Valencia. (Photo: WRI2) |
This season, the gearboxes were supplied by X-Trac. Lotus approached Renault as a transmission supplier but the French company apparently was more than please to supply Lotus with complete engine-gearbox-transmission units from 2011.
It is not clear at the moment whether a financial settlement can be reached for Cosworth to agree to cut short its deal, or whether Lotus will be forced to delay its Renault ambitions.
Renault supplied customers’ V-6 turbo engines to the original Lotus team from 1983 to 1986. Ayrton Senna scored his first victory in Formula 1 at the Grand Prix of Portugal in April 1985 behind the wheel of the Lotus 95T Renault V6 turbo.
Lotus Racing’s Technical Director is Mike Gascoyne, who was Benetton Renault’s technical boss from 2001 to 2003.
As far as the other small teams are concerned (Hispania and Virgin), they could be equipped with hydraulic systems and gearboxes supplied by Williams in 2011.
A spokesman for the independent Grove based team indicated on Tuesday that Williams' gearbox may also be supplied to customer teams.
"We've had enquiries for our hydraulics and gearbox, we're open to supplying it, but nothing has been agreed at this point," he said.