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Jan 31
F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone got involved in Vitaly Petrov’s quest to stay on the grid this year, the Russian driver’s manager has revealed.
We reported recently that, after the 27-year-old lost his Renault (now Lotus) race seat, the sport’s ‘supremo’ Ecclestone became involved in order to keep Petrov on the grid. The 81-year-old Briton has arranged to take his sport to Russia in the near future, while Petrov is supported personally by prime minister Vladimir Putin.
Dec 11
Team boss Eric Boullier shrugged his shoulders and answered “I don’t know” when asked if Robert Kubica has a future with Lotus
The team, together with the Polish driver last year when known as Renault, have been waiting throughout 2011 for Kubica to recover from serious injuries sustained in a pre-season rally crash.But there have been rumours of ructions between the team and the driver’s management camps — the latest quarrel being the wording of a statement announcing that Kubica is not ready to immediately return in 2012.
Nov 29
With Kimi Raikkonen now seated firmly at Lotus Renault, the race is on to be the famous Finn’s teammate in 2012.
Vitaly Petrov has a contract that runs into next year, but the Russian admitted recently that paperwork in F1 is often meaningless. Indeed, the Russia Today (RT) publication on Tuesday reported that Petrov’s manager, Oksana Kosachenko, is on her way to the team’s Enstone base late on Tuesday “to hold talks over (the driver’s) future with the team”.
Sep 14
Red Bull is now the works Renault team.
That is the claim of Red Bull principal Christian Horner, after the team’s new engine supply deal with Renault Sport F1 was announced at Monza. It was announced not only that Renault engines will continue to power the Red Bull cars through 2017, but that the parties will collaborate “to develop innovative technical solutions” for the new V6 engine of 2014.
Sep 11
Tony Fernandes has hinted strongly that he will drop the Team Lotus name for his formula one team ahead of the 2012 season.
The Malaysian entrepreneur has been locked in a bitter dispute with Renault sponsor Group Lotus but won the legal right to keep deploying the name for his Hingham-based team. But Fernandes, also the owner of the AirAsia airline, has subsequently bought the British specialist sports car maker Caterham and renamed his GP2 team Caterham Team AirAsia.
Jul 14
French carmaker Renault’s continuing involvement in formula one relies on “certain conditions” being present.
That is the claim of Carlos Tavares, who is the marque’s freshly appointed chief operating officer. After the ‘crashgate’ scandal, Renault effectively withdrew from F1 as a works team and is now only an engine supplier to the Red Bull, Lotus Renault, Team Lotus and – in 2012 – Williams teams.
Jul 11
Rumours about the health of the team currently known as Renault refused to disappear at Silverstone.
Boss Eric Boullier recently dismissed the rumours, hinting that they were triggered mischievously at Monaco by his predecessor Flavio Briatore. But six weeks later, there was once again similar talk in the paddock of the British grand prix, not long after Williams was announced as engine supplier Renault Sport’s newest partner team for 2012 and beyond.
