Mike Gascoyne renews Lotus contract
Lotus Racing has extended their contract with chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne until 2015. The signing is seen as the latest in Lotus’ actions to establish a team firmly in Formula 1, following their recent engine overhaul and restoration of the Team
Lotus brand.
“Mike’s five-year deal is a major announcement for the whole Lotus Racing team,” team principal Tony Fernandes stated. “It shows just how serious we are, not only about how far ahead we are setting our aspirations, but also as a reward to Mike for the incredibly
hard work he and the team have already put in to get us from, literally, four people back in September 2009 to our current position as a serious F1 player, with a very bright future ahead of us.”
Lotus is currently ranked 10th in the constructor’s championship, the best out of the three new teams featuring on the F1 grid this year.
Fernandes added, “On a personal level, I’ve really enjoyed the last year that we’ve been working together, and I’m very excited about working with Mike for many years to come.”
Gascoyne has enjoyed a successful career in F1 since 1989, having been involved with legendary teams such as McLaren, Tyrrell, Jordan, Benetton, Renault, and Toyota. Dubbed 'The Rottweiler', for his aggressive temperament, Gascoyne’s reputation as a formidable
technical powerhouse has earned him prestigious glory on the track, most especially for his famous Tyrrell 019 chassis, headed by driver Jean Alesi and for Benetton in 2003.
Having been a part of the founding of the Lotus Racing in 2009, Gascoyne is eager to cultivate a flourishing future for the team.
“Having started the team from scratch with Tony, it was always my intention to finish my career here, so it’s great to have formally agreed a five-year deal,” he explained. “I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to Tony, Din, Nasa, Riad and the whole team,
and I’m extremely grateful to everyone involved in Lotus Racing for having the confidence to take this into a long-term contract."
“We've had a great start to our partnership together, and I'm looking forward to continuing that for the next five years, and even beyond that.”
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