KV Racing to use Chevrolet engines
- This topic has 16 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 5 months ago by Joel Holland.
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- 1st November 2011, 22:55 at 10:55 pm #130439Keith CollantineKeymaster
KV Racing will join Penske and Andretti in switching to Chevrolet power next year:
http://www.indystar.com/article/20111101/SPORTS0107/111101027/
So what’s going to become of their Lotus backing as they’re not going to be using Lotus engines?
And will Takuma Sato remain with the team as it ditches Honda?
1st November 2011, 22:58 at 10:58 pm #184122IcthyesParticipantMaybe they’ll put all their resources behind the Lotus-engined team and Taku will follow?
2nd November 2011, 4:04 at 4:04 am #184123Adam TateParticipantThat is very interesting. With only one minor team set to use Lotus engines next season. Is Danny Bahar’s dream falling apart before it even starts?
Or could Lotus as Icthyes has suggested set up their own team? They’d be the first “manufacturer” with dedicated teams in both F1 and Indycar for a looonnnng time. I’d like to see that, but don’t hold out any hope for it.
Either way they should keep Sato, he has adapted well to Indycar and really shined at some moments this year.
2nd November 2011, 8:42 at 8:42 am #184124BasCBParticipantLotus might do a bigger deal with a team to rebrand as a Lotus team, but to actually run a car, they will have to show up with the Lotus (-branded made by Judd) engine in the first place. Something that is looking less and less likely to happen in time.
2nd November 2011, 8:51 at 8:51 am #184125Keith CollantineKeymaster@Adam-tate It certainly doesn’t reflect well on Lotus that Honda and Chevrolet have had their test engines running already:
2nd November 2011, 10:53 at 10:53 am #184126Joel HollandParticipantI think HVM and the new Shank team have been talked about as going with Lotus, neither of which would be all the inspiring. I think they’ll show, but if they’re running with (no offence, they’re just smaller operations) teams like HVM and MSR they’re not going to do much.
As for KV, Justin Wilson is by all accounts their preferred choice to drive alongside Kanaan next season, but he’s also on Andretti’s list for the Go Daddy car Wheldon would have driven. So Justin’s in demand. Sato could return if that doesn’t happen, but then so could Viso. Presumably Sato will land somewhere as he has money behind him. KV didn’t run him purely on talent, did they? TK really showed what that team can do wiuth a proper driver this year.
2nd November 2011, 10:54 at 10:54 am #184127Joel HollandParticipantJust to add to what Keith said about Honda and Chevy already running, they’ll test again today with Franchitti and Kanaan respectively. Lotus/Judd, again, won’t.
2nd November 2011, 12:12 at 12:12 pm #184128AnonymousInactiveThis utterly befuddled me when I saw it on Autosport this morning. Lotus seem to be hell-bent on confusing every motorsport fan going at the moment.
I don’t see how they could have the Lotus branded KV team not running a Lotus engine when others are. It doesn’t reflect well. So indeed, do they stop their partnership with KV and start one with a Lotus-engined team? Does Taku head to a Honda-engined team? Do Lotus go all out and set up a team of their own?
Much as I feel they’ve down a fair amount of harm to their image over the past year, it would be cool to see Lotus have similar teams in F1 and IndyCar, maybe using the black and gold livery, and extending it to their works efforts in the lower GT classes.
2nd November 2011, 12:23 at 12:23 pm #184129Joel HollandParticipantLotus and KV’s relationship is done. They’ll probably have a flagship team next year but it won’t be KV.
2nd November 2011, 14:36 at 2:36 pm #184130BasCBParticipantMight it be possible that with the name change in F1 meaning Lotus will buy a stake in the ex-renault team there is no money left to do IndyCar?
The poor teams who signed up with them for an engine are already feeling gutted, i suppose. And it seems Bahar is doing all he can to get more people in the racing world to dislike him for his big words – no reality handling of things.
3rd November 2011, 6:16 at 6:16 am #184131Adam TateParticipantThanks @Keith,
and I have to agree with pretty much everything that’s been said on here so far, Lotus is in trouble. Bahar needs to back up his words if they want to be a force in the future of Indycar. With Ganassi commited to Honda, Penske and Andretti joining Chevrolet, Lotus really needs to build up a strong team if they hope to compete.
3rd November 2011, 6:40 at 6:40 am #184132Prisoner MonkeysParticipantSo what’s going to become of their Lotus backing as they’re not going to be using Lotus engines?
Word is that Lotus hasn’t paid Judd for the engines yet, because they’re tied up in wrangling with Tony Fernandes, and they can’t pay until such time as that matter gets settled. KV is probably feeling nervous about Lotus paying Judd in time for Judd to deliver to them for testing, so they’ve decided to cut their losses and go with Chevrolet.
3rd November 2011, 7:51 at 7:51 am #184133Joel HollandParticipantKV and Chevy are a pretty natural fit: Jimmy Vasser owns a Chevrolet dealership. And yeah, they’re a front-running team so you’d think they’d want an engine that’s actually testing before 2012.
3rd November 2011, 8:06 at 8:06 am #184134Keith CollantineKeymaster@jholland Didn’t know that about Vasser, makes a lot of sense.
3rd November 2011, 9:57 at 9:57 am #184135Joel HollandParticipant@keithcollantine Roger Penske does too, hence his perhaps hasty switch away from Honda.
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