The Malaysian-backed Lotus F1 team is likely to have a Malaysian in its 2010 driver line-up – but only in a testing role.
The team’s chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne told the Malaysian Star Fairuz Fauzy is likely to be the team’s third driver. He said:
Fairuz will be in the team probably as a reserve driver or a test driver. He has the talent but we don’t want him to ‘crash and burn’ in the race because of his inexperience.
Take (Fernando) Alonso for example. He was signed as a test driver and didn’t get a race seat until after three years with Renault and he went on to win trophies. This is exactly what we want with Fairuz, for him to have enough experience because racing in the Formula One is at a much higher level than he [is] used to.
Mike Gascoyne
Gascoyne’s words are extremely diplomatic and the comparison with Fernando Alonso is particularly optimistic.
Fauzy has covered many miles since making his racing debut in British Formula Ford ten years ago, but hasn’t done an awful lot of winning. I could only find records of three races he’s won in that time.
After finishing 12th in the British Formula Three championship in 2004 he made the jump to GP2. He spent two years in the category without scoring a point, but had quite a few crashes.
Since then he’s been in the World Series by Renault where he finished a creditable second in the championship this year behind Bertrand Baguette.
Fauzy was one of Spyker’s five nominated test drivers in 2007.
For now we should give him the benefit of the doubt – he might just be a late bloomer. But it’s hard to avoid the impression putting him in the team is anything other than a sponsor-pleasing tactic.
And with testing so tightly restricted at the moment, any third driver will lucky to get much time in the car outside of straight-line aerodynamic tests.
In the meantime Lotus are facing questions about their wind tunnel model and the similarities it bears to Force India’s design. Gascoyne previously worked for the Silverstone-based team.
Lotus F1 team
steph90
8th November 2009, 11:32
Maybe a third driver is more of an insult these days with so little testing
:PI agree probably more to please sponsors and PR etc.Kobayashi is meant to be eyeing Lotus seat
The new ‘spy scandal’ incident with Lotus and FI is ridiculous in my opinion. Gascoyne isn’t going to radically change his ideas and…
DC
8th November 2009, 11:41
Kind of like Alonso at Ferrari? ;) Eh, everyone needs to keep the sponsors happy. We’ll just have to wait and see how he does.
John H
8th November 2009, 13:09
Lotus eh?
mp4-19b
8th November 2009, 13:22
Wiki mentions that his first name is Mohamed. So, if he does race in 2010, will he be the first moslem driver in F1?
James
8th November 2009, 13:35
Muslim…
Mark Hitchcock
8th November 2009, 17:00
Who cares? Any of the other drivers could be Muslim and we just don’t know because it doesn’t matter!
pSynrg
8th November 2009, 19:43
Well said, thank you Mark.
seskuj
9th November 2009, 5:47
do you have any problem what that????
mp4-19b
9th November 2009, 6:13
Absolutely no problem!
seskuj
9th November 2009, 19:33
hey..he will be the first Malay in F1!!!we already got Caucasian, Japanese, Indian, Chinese. what other other races who compete in f1???I’m not racism but just asking???
James
9th November 2009, 22:14
Actually, he’ll be the second Malaysian driver in F1, Alexander Yoong drove for Minardi for 3 races in 2001.
seskuj
10th November 2009, 10:37
no..im not mean the nationality but races. like indian,african,white,black,latino…sort like that. alex yoong is chinese while fauzy is malay. But both is Malaysian.again im not saying im a racism but just curious…
Ben
8th November 2009, 13:32
Not to forget his cousin, Christopher Croissant
Sush Meerkat
8th November 2009, 14:24
hahahahh LMAO
Man his parents hated him,
JSC
8th November 2009, 13:38
Gascoyne’s comparison with Alonso is more than a little disingenuous, not only because Fauzy has shown few signs of being a world champion, but also because Alonso did a year’s racing with Minardi in 2001, aged 19, before he began testing with Renault. He then took a year out testing in 2002 before stepping up to a race seat the following year, bjut he probably would have done just as well had they put him in a year earlier.
If Lotus really want a Malaysian on the driving side, then why not recall Alex Yoong? He was pretty awful when he drove for Minardi late 2001 (alongside Alonso, incidentally) and 2002, but since then he has done some winning in A1GP and generally shown himself to have developed into a competent performer.
Praveen Titus
12th November 2009, 18:04
Fairuz Fauzy himself has finished on the podium in A1GP and I think has also won a few races in that series. That’s no indication, though, that a driver will be good in F1. A1GP and F1 are different.
Sush Meerkat
8th November 2009, 14:20
thats his marketing head saying that, to appease the financial overlords funding his project that so happen to be Malaysian.
If he was funded by Thor he’d nominate lightning as a driver like Alonso.
I’m not saying thats a bad thing, in his shoes I’d say the same thing about a Malaysian driver when I work for a Malaysian company while speaking to the Malaysian media
Owen G
8th November 2009, 19:20
Bertrand Baguette is a great name! Sounds like a driver from a 1980’s computer racing game.
wasiF1
9th November 2009, 1:25
I think its nice give him a year to test then place him in the racing car.Rumors are that Trulli will be joining Lotus for 2010.
PJA
9th November 2009, 10:01
I know nothing on Fuazy so I can’t comment on him, but the difference in F1 with when Alonso was a test driver to gain experience and now is that with the testing ban a third driver now won’t get that much experience.
Nitpicker
9th November 2009, 11:03
Nobody rated Kobayashi much until he tussled with the World Champion-elect and showed his mettle. F1 suited him better than GP2 it seems. The same could be said of Fauzy or any other also-ran driver in the lower leagues, but we won’t know until every one of them gets an F1 test which of course can’t happen.
A high turnover of rookies could be a good move for the new F1 teams — give them half a season of ‘testing’ to prove some ability, or they get replaced by the next rookie.
Praveen Titus
12th November 2009, 18:09
Quite true. Damon Hill wasn’t particularly mpressive in the lower categories, but became World Champion. The opposite is also true. Nelson Piquet Jr, Heikki Kovaleinen, etc. were so good in GP2 but were found wanting in F1.
Rob Wilson
9th November 2009, 12:55
if he’s gunna be the test driver who’s gunna be in the car? i thought it was – Trulli, Fauzy…but seemingly not, i say hopefully Kobayashi, he’s been impressive :)
steph90
9th November 2009, 13:41
I’d say Koby. Jacques V is a possibility if Lotus want to go for a line up which is completely experienced but they may as well shove a young promise in the other car like Williams are and get the best of both worlds.
PJA
9th November 2009, 14:50
According to Mike Gascoyne Lotus want two experienced drivers for their race seats. Which unless a rookie is an outstanding talent, or if money is not an issue is the best way to go especially for a new team.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80026
mp4-19b
9th November 2009, 15:04
Its highly possible that Trulli will land up at Lotus. I say that because, Gascoyne was technical director at Jordan,Renault & Toyota when Trulli was driving for those teams.
I think Trulli & Kobayashi should be a decent pairing.
Dunno about Villeneuve. Maybe USF1?
Ben
9th November 2009, 23:29
Trulli & Sato is my bet.