Model hints at 2010 colour scheme for 1Malaysia / Lotus F1 car

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1Malaysia F1 car model

The FIA announced today that Lotus will get the final place on the 2010 F1 grid. The Malaysian government has backed the bid and the entry was made by a company called “1Malaysia F1 Team”.

1Malaysia is an initiative of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, intended to promote unity among Malaysians. This brightly-coloured car model was on display at an official announcement in Malaysia today.

The team principal will be Tony Fernandes, who is ranked the 15th-richest man in Malaysia and set up Air Asia, the airline which sponsors Williams.

A statement from the government said: “"The cars will be made in Malaysia, by Malaysians […] The team will announce its two drivers by October 31, 2009. Currently six local and international drivers have been selected.”

Ex-Renault, Toyota and Force India man Mike Gascoyne will return to F1 as the team’s technical director.

Interestingly, FIA president candidate Jean Todt has links to Malaysia via his partner Michelle Yeoh and his role as an ambassador for Malaysian tourism (about which questions were raised earlier this year).

The model above may prove not to be indicative of what the team’s final 2010 livery will look like – but I think it would be great to see such a radical colour scheme on the F1 grid.

But with Force India, US F1 and now 1Malaysia, is F1 slowly turning into A1 Grand Prix?

Update: Alex Yoong yesterday referred to the car as ‘project raibow’ on Twitter. Is this paint scheme serious?

Read more: 2010 F1 drivers and teams

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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174 comments on “Model hints at 2010 colour scheme for 1Malaysia / Lotus F1 car”

  1. I hope Alex Yoong doesn’t return to F1 as one of the Lotus drivers…

    1. The days of pay drivers seem to be over- now drivers seem more likely to be chosen on their nationality. Bernie Ecclestone wants Force India to take on Karun Chandok, USF1 will run at least one American driver (even though none of them seem to have the credentials right now). Perhaps the Malaysian tourist board will decide employing Alex Yoong for Lotus will draw in a few more tourists to the country…

    1. Are sidepods & stuff allowed next year?

      1. Not the winglets, no, this looks like a pre-09 model that someone’s painted.

        1. look like the renault R24 or R25.

          1. it is a renault

  2. Well thats…. different

    1. One way of putting it.

      1. a very nice way of putting it, I had a diff word on my head….

        1. I had several.

          1. I had a stick of rock from the seaside that looked like that once…

    2. as long as red or white aren’t on it i’m happy. these colours are way to common. the old black/gold or the dark green/yellow schemes were the best.

      1. The dark metallic green with yellow would be great.

        1. i meant as long as it isn’t dark blue or dark blue and white.

    3. I’m a fan of colourful things, so I like it. But then again I like the Renault livery so perhaps I just have bad taste…

      Regardless, I’d be very surprised if they actually kept this livery, I think it’s just a publicity stunt. If Petronas are involved, it’s far more likely to be turqouise, a bit like Sauber used to look.

      1. Your not alone, I loved the 08 Renault color scheme the best, and Vettels Bahrain helmet

    4. lewisisoverated
      16th September 2009, 3:46

      as ridiculous as that looks, im sure that was just for show.. i looked at it again and if you notice that is actually the colours of the malaysian flag! for anyone who doesnt know what that looks like, its has a blue rectangle with a yellow moon and sun in it. and the red and white stripes. well it looks just like the american flag except the 52 or whatever stars the septics have is replaced by the sun and moon. not too sure about the number of stripes. havent counted either.

    5. Looks like ice-cream to me.

  3. The back looks alright I think but I do not like the front. I like vivid and distinctive liveries but that is just odd…

  4. haha.. Dun be like Spyker or MidlandF1 disappear from the grid less than 2 seasons..

    1. Yeah they will. So will Manor and Campos

  5. I have a feeling this won’t end well.

  6. Lol TommyB one way to describe it! :P
    Maybe they kept running out of paint and just picked up the nearest can?

    1. Haha yeah. Looks a bit like a stick of rock you get from the sea-side or something.

  7. Nice to see Mike Gascoyne will be back for next year…. Well the design and colours are erm.. different!

  8. Now I wont say a bad thing about Renaults ING livery. I love it now as I know there may be worse paint jobs :O

  9. But with Force India, US F1 and now 1Malaysia, is F1 slowly turning into A1 Grand Prix?

    Yes. It’ll soon be half A1GP half Formula Cosworth.

    Hopefully F1 will be sorted out with a new president

  10. What if it’s Todt Tommy? Bernie wouldn’t even give Vatanen a pass to the Monza gp. Wish we could vote or get one of us or Keith for president

    1. Yeah that’d be a shame. Isn’t Todt going to run for president then when he gets it make Mosley in-charge again?

  11. I would be very surprised if that livery made it onto the grid.

  12. Please god, no!

    That’s horrid, really don’t like it one bit.

    The cars will be made in Malaysia, by Malaysians […]

    If that’s the case, why not use a Malaysian name than possibly tarnish a great teams record.

    Just my tuppence worth.

    1. Yes I agree. The majesty of the Lotus name should not be tarnished by tacky liveries. They will ruin the brand appeal and commercial value of the name if they do. But try explaining this to people in this Berniefied era – F1 does not seem to have too much awareness of history or classy looks these days (the exception being McLaren)

      1. Well, Mclaren and Williams also.

        1. Mclaren, Williams and Ferrari. Oddly enough they’re the only teams to have won more races than Lotus.

      2. They can even paint it the national flag colors and it would not look so ugly. Gah. When I was last in KL, the ING Renault F1 advertisements were everywhere — you’d think they’d recoil from the horror, not get sunken deeper into the morass…

        Ironically, the local Malaysian car makes (Proton and Perodua) tend to be, in my opinion, very elegantly designed, they just have a reputation — not wholly undeserved — for poor reliability and safety.

  13. Oh God……please….no.
    If they show up with a color scheme like that it is probably an indication of the performance we can expect from the team…….like none.

  14. What’s with all the Pink on the front wing & nose? It will definitely not be received well in Canada & USA for obvious reasons ;) I dunno how Colin Chapman will be feeling at this moment. The first thing that comes to mind at a mention of a Lotus is “JPS Golden Black” . I would rather not see a lotus car. This is absolutely going to destroy the legacy of Lotus & Chapman.
    Wasn’t Mike Gascoyne fired from Force India last year? I wonder how good will he be. Hasn’t been sucessful despite being the highest paid in 2003 with earnings crossing $8 million per year. Malaysian folks will go mad if this new “Lotus” doesn’t deliver. I just hope this misadventure doesn’t damage the reputation of the original Colin Chapman Lotus brand.

    1. That car is as ugly as it will be slow. That car is really a joke. FIA doesnt which direction to take f1 in.. but allowing a crappy teams and cars in f1 will only spoil the sport

    2. That car is as ugly as it will be slow. That car is really a joke. FIA doesnt know which direction to take f1 in.. but allowing a crappy teams and cars in f1 will only spoil the sport

    3. I hope they don’t do black and gold. It was a great livery, but it matched the sponsor, so dragging it out now seems wrong. I suppose if the sponsor black and gold it wouldn’t matter, but otherwise it seems like exploiting there history. I’d rather they just find a scheme to match a new sponsor or go back to green with yellow.

  15. Bit off topic but Mp4 if you look on autosport there is news about the future of mclaren and mercedes relationship.
    Isn’t Lotus being based in Britain first and then being moved across to Malaysia?

    1. I wouldn’t be surprised if McLaren come up with their own engine by 2012. Ron Dennis has clearly stated they are in the process of building a Brand name. McLaren would look awfully incomplete without its own engine. So, the news to me was on expected lines. Ron also made it very clear that they are taking on Ferrari .

      1. Re McLaren building its own engine — well, they’re building their own engine for the new road car — wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to see them aim for their own F1 powerplant in 2012 or 2013 after the Mercedes connection withers…

      2. I see a great future for McLaren, building their own engines and expanding their range of road cars.
        I can see Ron entering a Second Youth, and creating wonderful and different things for the times ahead.

  16. I hope the team will be called Lotus and not 1 Malaysia. I was looking for the return of the evocative British brand and team, but this is Lotus only in name. Really sad. And I don’t belive Malaysia has any local driver who is F1 material, except perhaps Fairuz Fauzy.

  17. I can deal (uhum!?) with the livery but is that the best they could do with the name…

    1. they’ll be called Lotus. what’s wrong with that?

  18. But with Force India, US F1 and now 1Malaysia, is F1 slowly turning into A1 Grand Prix?

    Funny, thats exactly what I was thinking!

    But thats an awful colour scheme, they had better be taking the p**s! :P

  19. I bet the driver will be Fairuz Fauzy, u know what? these are the government cronies business. Another way to siphon the tax payer monies. Sad day for Malaysian. Do we really have the money to spare on F1? Don,t get me wrong, I’m not against Malaysian F1 but the Malaysian tax payer monies.

  20. The ugliest color scheme in all F1 history…

    1. Wholeheartedly agreed!

    2. Oh I dunno – Honda’s ‘Earth Car’ paint job was completely duff at at 200mph. Actually, scratch that – was duff when parked as well.

      Cut ’em a break, no major sponsor yet, but suprised they didn’t do the Malay flag thing, but would prolly get mistaken for USF1 team then I guess.

      1. I quite liked that one actually :)

      2. The 2007 Honda was slightly worse than this. I assume Lotus have got some hippie thing going on.

    3. I agree. That scheme is hideous. The only thing it is going to do is dilute the Lotus brand. It’s bad!

    1. brand ambassador of this Lotus car? probably this person?

  21. But with Force India, US F1 and now 1Malaysia, is F1 slowly turning into A1 Grand Prix?

    To clarify, Force India only uses the word “India” for promotional purposes. The Indian government has nothing to do with Force India. There is probably no Indian in the team apart from its owner.

    The use of the word “India” gives the team a very very large fan base in India. Which it can leverage for other purposes.

    I don’t know about US F1 or 1Malaysia, but Force India is NOT an A1 Grand Prix team.

    Livery is mmm interesting. One positive point is that they dont use white, which far too many teams in Formula1 use excessively.

    1. The US government has nothing to do with US F1 either. 90% of them probably don’t even know what it is. They are using the name US for the same reason as India, so it’s not at all an A1 type of thing. They are just hoping that the US can gain interest by having a homegrown team.

      That is a very ugly scheme and the name reminds me of one of those funny Engrish websites….1Malaysia F1….huh?

      1. I hate to point this out but most of the A1 GP teams aren’t run out of the nations they represent, either. The whole ‘World Cup of Motorsport’ is a ridiculously flimsy premise for an international series, which is in no way strengthened by making each nation field a driver from their country. Essentially it’s a marketing exercise, of the type you would be a fool to count Mr Ecclestone out of.

        1. If the same trend of naming teams after nations continues, that day is not far off when F1 will turn into some kind of arcade game like Track Mania Nations.

  22. “They cannot be serious” with that livery. I hope that is only just a mockup. I just couldn’t take it serious like the Honda earth car. Well at least you can spot them a mile away coming down the straight unless your colour blind. :-)

  23. I think Pink Pearl will be very pleased with this livery ;)

  24. I cant take this entry seriously. How can they design and build an F1 can in 6 months and get it racing (within 107%). I think this arrangement will flounder before before March 2010; and the FIA know it. Hence the reason why they want to have ‘Sauber’ lined up to fill the vacancy.

    1. The thought the 107% rule went when we left the old fashioned 12 laps in an hour qualifying?

      1. I’m just thinking of Lola 1997.

      2. The 107% rule was dropped in 2002. The last person not allowed to race because of it was Alex Yoong at the 2002 German Grand Prix.

  25. I’m just wondering if this car was just brought out from the wind tunnel ? Looks like they’ve used bad colour combination for Flow-vis paint ;) Epic Aero(colour) failure.

    1. I would go all the way to a psychedellic design, like the Rolls Royce of John Lennon, or else I would stay with a nice classic colour theme.

  26. I think country names should be banned from team names. F1 is about competition bewtween drivers and teams not nations.

    1. F1 teams used to represent a nation and that’s why F1 is a world championship and the winner is a world champion.
      As Force India is for India,
      so was and is Ferrari for Italy.

      1. Mike "the bike" Schumacher
        15th September 2009, 22:40

        Team used to carry national colours the only time they truly drove for their country, sponsorship stopped that. Only team competing in national colours still is ferrari.

      2. I don’t think it’s a world championship because nations were intended to compete directly (otherwise why so many British teams), it’s a world championship because the racing happened/happens across the world, by drivers from all over the world.

      3. That’s absolutely untrue – neither Formula One nor any of the predecessor championships have ever been a competition between nations. The first championship was the World Grand Prix Manufacturers Championship. The Driver’s Championship came several years later.

    2. Those two teams aren’t racing as countries. Following that logic, F1 is currently a competition between four car manufacturers, two energy drinks, three men, and a country.

      If you look at the two teams that have a country in their name, Force India and USF1, they come from countries that don’t really care about F1. If it takes a team with the national flag on the side to get people watching, I don’t see the problem with it.

      If and when a second team arises from India or the US, I could easily see those names changing to something more standard, like the

      1. F1 is currently a competition between four car manufacturers, two energy drinks, three men, and a country

        This made me laugh, good call!

    3. F1 did not begin as a world championship and has not been exclusively so since 1984.

      The painting of cars in national colours was a differentiator not a competition requirement. Teams didn’t think twice about dropping ‘national colours’ in place of sponsors once money was on the table.

      I understand that the teams are not racing as countries, of course – most of the Force India team is not even Indian – that is my point, there should be FIA imposed restrictions on names just as there is in other sports and industries.

      As I say, F1 is not a sport between national teams and therefore the teams should not be allowed to be named as such.

      1. Have you forgotten about Équipe Nationale Belge? It’s not like it’s a new thing…

        1. Indeed, it’s not a new thing but that doesn’t mean we should allow it.

  27. It looks like an F1 car shaped boiled sweet, complete in three different flavours – blueberry, custard and raspberry ripple.

  28. ACID FLASHBACK!!!!!!!

  29. Mr. shirx vsdballsackpopadom
    15th September 2009, 19:27

    Looks crap.

  30. Tommy that’s what many think and I doubt Max would back anyone unless he got something out of it.
    Bernard I wouldn’t ban them but I tend do agree it’s better when teams stay awaye from country names, mainly as I have a vision of the USF1 car being the american flag with them blasting Bruce Springsteen’s born in the USA when they arrive next year :P

    1. You forgot to mention monster truck tires and a “support our troops” magnet on the rear wing.

    2. Couldn’t agree more. All they need now is a Budweiser sponsorship, and they’d be all set!

  31. the 60’s have returned only this time the LSD has been taken by engineers. That hurts.Anyboby remember the Lola in 93′ I always thought that was the worst, I remember walking down the pit lane and seeing it for the 1st time boy was it ugly.

  32. Incredible to say, I agree with Mp4-19.
    Would that rainbow be a LOTUS???

  33. it not the lotus f1 livery for next year…c’mon…don’t be such stupid….this is just an awful looking model made by 5 years old kid with a couple can of spray…the team will call lotus f1 team not 1malaysia f1 team…it just a company name..i bet one of the driver will be fairuz fauzy….but fairuz deserve much descent f1 car that this lotus f1 that sure will be one of the back marker next year….the should just buy bmw sauber!!!

  34. And I thought that the front-side shot looks awfull – at least from that angle you can see that they TRIED (and failed miserably) to paint a national flag inspired livery.

    I can see them either using British racing green or the yellow-white livery of A1 team

  35. This is FAIL on so many levels.

    FAIL team.
    FAIL livery.
    FAIL Lotus name using.
    FAIL Sauber getting a buyer only on the day this is announced.

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      16th September 2009, 2:10

      Sauber most likely had a buyer lined up well in advance, they just chose to annouce it the same day as Lotus was declared team thirteen to maximise their chances of there being a fourteenth team.

  36. It looks like an old Renault model.

  37. As a malaysian, I’m embarrassed. way to stick it in peoples faces… woo…

  38. So this is what Alex Yoong referred to as ‘Project Rainbow’

    1. Yeah someone just sent me that on Twitter. Very interesting, maybe this is more accurate than we thought!

  39. YUCK! Who was the genius who painted this monstrosity? An group of preschoolers? And the name? C’mon, we have Force India, USF1, and NOW 1Malaysia? I thought nothing could get worse than USF1 with the naming, but maybe the Malaysians need to be a tad more creative. Also, it is a disappointment that this fugly car will have a Lotus badge on it. FAIL on so many levels.

  40. I must change my meds, but I like it. A color for every day of the week or minute of the day. It is trying to please everyone on the planet.

  41. would be great to see such a radical colour scheme on the F1 grid

    yes keith, but not like this! looks like an ice cream.

    1. Like an ice cream? I wouldn’t eat an ice cream with that many colours!

      1. ever heard of neopolitan?

        1. Hahaha, good call.

    2. It doesn’t look like an ice cream.
      It looks like a bad ice cream :-P

      1. A melted one at that.

  42. I kinda think this could be a publicity stunt or something…???

    I mean it’s got the forums talking…

    O yeah, I really hope I’m right!

  43. Mussolini's Pet Cat
    15th September 2009, 21:35

    When I read on the Beeb that the name Lotus was coming back to F1, I was overjoyed! However, “The cars will be made in Malaysia, by Malaysians”….. Bl**dy disgrace. A name synonymous with Britain & British engineering should definately not be used in such a cheap marketing excercise……

    1. Why couldn’t the “British” keep Lotus afloat?

      1. Mussolini's Pet Cat
        15th September 2009, 22:36

        Irrelevent

  44. Regardless of the paint job, the Hinwil team parked up as the ’14th team’ at present, can only mean the FIA means to kick Renault and Flavio out of the series, given half the chance. No great surprises there, but Mosley’s final vengence on Briatore and FOTA will hurt Formula 1 commercially, as much as many of his draconian measures have over the last few years.

    Even if ‘Crashgate’ did happen, which will remain subjective I suspect, how can this retrospective activity possibly help F1 as a ‘sport’ in the eyes of the global media, and thus, it’s sponsors. Suspect CVC directors must be seething that this final lashing out from Max Rufus Mosley, whom by his own admission, has known about this matter for some months. Odd how he waited until the FOTA split was negated with the new concorde agreement in the bag before proceeding with this action.

    Well at least the candy-cane car looks different. Defo gonna need a big sponsor for a new paint job though. Wonder where Alonso will be hunting now…

  45. Looks like vomit!

  46. I would love to see a JPS back on the tracks, black and golden… that was one fine piece of art!! Unfortunately, we won’t see it again….

    1. Well that’s their title sponsor sorted.

      Popsicle 1Malaysia F1 Team Lotus-Cosworth

      Ooh, snappy!

    2. I just read JV’s contract and he has to dye his hair the same colours as the car.

  47. Mike "the bike" Schumacher
    15th September 2009, 22:27

    How can the F.I.A. chose a team, with only a model of a car, from the wrong year and terrible livary, over lola who already have a basic design for next years car. why have they also accepted B.M.W.s new owners as a reserve team and possible 14th entrant, why not BMW before Team malaysia. I HATE teams named after countries, it just doesn’t sound good and if the owners are not willing to put their own name on the car it sounds like a lack of interest. Its worse though, taking a prestigous name like lotus and probably dragging it through the mud. Does this mean they get records lotus set, for just having money? New teams coming into F1 should have a racing history in Gp2 F3 etc. not just stealing one. Looks like its still only people who have money and want to make more can enter F1 rather than enthusiasts. They may have 1990s level of spending and teams but theres no comparison between Tyrell, Brabham, Jordan, Minardi the real Lotus team, and USF1, Campos, and the fake Lotus team.
    If its not the lotus car company its NOT lotus.
    Sorry got a bit carried away.

  48. Couldn’t they have gotten a Minichamps model to paint over lol! That thing looks like complete crap!

    I wouldn’t be surprised if this team vanished by 2011 its just seems like F1 is going to be to much money for these guys to handle

  49. ‘The cars will be made in Malaysia, by Malaysians.’

    And that is why it should not be called Lotus.

    1. Mussolini's Pet Cat
      15th September 2009, 22:40

      hear, hear

    2. Erm, but Lotus IS owned by Proton – the Malaysian car manufacturer and has been since 1994.

      Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Brit and fiercely proud of our sports car heritage, but short of Morgan or TVR joining the grid, can’t see a way forward here. Jaguar is owned by an Indian company (Tata? Guys who made the cheapest even car recently? Could be wrong). Bentley is a VW and Rolls Royce is a BMW. Lotus IS Malaysian now. Be proud of where it all started though.

      I would be the first to admit that I would love to see a return to the days when cars drove under their national racing colour, drivers smoked 40 a day, and Damon’s mum stood on the pit wall doing the timing, actually helping the effort (never seen Tag Hauer’s hair-do, but she keeps a much lower profile).

      But with today’s economic climate, there arn’t going to be any cars in British Racing Green.

      And in reply to all the negative comments about team names including the country name, BRM’s team name was actually British Racing Motors.

      Good luck to ’em I say. Not sorry to see and grand ole name like Lotus back on the grid myself. But if people really value F1 team history, there is only one Scuderia Ferrari.

      1. Although, I’m dead against this idea, I have to agree with Salty here. Lotus is technically not British anymore, its owned by the Malaysian government. So there is technically nothing wrong in calling it Lotus. If you disagree, why not call Jaguar Tata and Roll Royce BMW? While you’re at it, might as well call Lamborghini Audi. What ever said and done, the design and engineering will still come from the vastly experienced British engineers.

        The whole idea of Malaysian’s building the car is a little far fethched for now. I am not doubting my countrymen’s capabilities, we’re definitely on par (if not better than) with the rest of world in various sectors, but building cars, race cars above all, is not exactly our forte.

        I think the colour scheme is ridiculous, and I’m very suprised the FIA granted them a spot on the grid. This is technically building a team from the ground up, and they expect to build a functioning car in less that 6 months!!!?

        I was hoping this wouldn’t happen, I have already expressed my thought in my article Keith kindly posted last week.

        F1 is turning into a Mickey Mouse sport. This reminds of the late 70’s and 80’s when just about anyone could run a F1 team.

        1. Prisoner Monkeys
          16th September 2009, 6:29

          I think the colour scheme is ridiculous,

          It’s just a model. Car liveries are usually dictated by sponsors.

          and I’m very suprised the FIA granted them a spot on the grid.

          The FIA said it was a strong proposal. Until we know the details or see them on-track, we can’t rightly judge it.

          This is technically building a team from the ground up, and they expect to build a functioning car in less that 6 months!!!?

          They don’t have to: Lola already have a 50% scale model that they would have used if they had made the grid. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a Lotus-Lola – “Lolotusa” – on the grid for 2010, and a straight Lotus from 2011.

      2. Mussolini's Pet Cat
        16th September 2009, 11:53

        Ok, good points, BUT, my problem is that there is NO British involvement.. Designed and built by Malaysians…Its just a cheap marketing exercise.

        1. Prisoner Monkeys
          16th September 2009, 14:23

          But does there have to be? This incarnation of Lotus has made it clear that they’re a separate entity to the Lotus of old. While they intend to stick to the original team as closely as possible, they are under no illusions and seek to forge their own identity. They don’t want to be the Lotus of old, but they do want to supplement it. They’ve already said that their goal is to be the best of the new teams for 2010, which is a pretty modest approach, and far better than most new teams who declare that they want to be fighitng for victories winthin three years of joining or whatever. How many have done that in recent times?

          And how is there no British invovlement? The team will be based in Norfolk until facilities can be constructed at Sepang, and Mike Gascoyne is technical director. And with six months until Melbourne, they may have no choice but to buy a chassis from Lola. Hell, it wouldn’t surpise me if the team asked Lola to continue with its development because they wanted to join the sport and they’d need a chassis.

          1. Mussolini's Pet Cat
            18th September 2009, 8:50

            If they are soooo keen on being separate from Lotus of old, then why call it LOTUS?????? An insulting & tawdry marketing exercise, that’s why!

  50. Maybe it is radical

    but it’s horrible as hell!

  51. F1Outsider beat me to it. This is VOMIT on wheels.

    Let’s see what livery I can think of that has been worse….(thinks) nope, (thinks again) nope, (thinks again) nope, (and) nope. Not even the 917 Pink Pig can touch this.

    Never has the hand of a graphic designer touched this job. It was probably design by committee with the comp made by some underling in the company’s (non) art department or paint shop.

    Where is Ian Hutchinson or David Aronson when we need them?

  52. I’m voting for the green and gold of Lotus, possibly with the dark blue and turquoise of Petronas, all rolled up into what could be a fairly nice looking yellow-green-blue livery.

    Thats what I think next year’s car will look like. Not this candy cane cloud… thing.

  53. Even Mattel could make something for Barbie (or Ken) nicer than this.

  54. Good. I don’t care what you think of the livery (I don’t much like it myself) but we have no idea what it will be.

    What’s important here is that this is a promising step towards a new team on the grid in 2010, along with the others. We need new teams. Our last newly originated team on the grid was what? They’re all connected to a previous team, if not a longtime F1 mainstay like Ferrari or Williams. USF1, Campos, Lotus and the possible BMW buyer is what the sport needs as manufacturers like Honda and BMW drop, with Toyota and Renault possibly threatening.

    1. Agree. New blood for F1 is good. Folks don’t like change, but 26 cars not 20, new drivers and new teams that arn’t sell-ons can only help take the sport forward.

  55. Malaysia step forward again, I support malaysia.

  56. Fantastic…we’ll be able to see them even though they are at the back of the grid!

    1. Actually we’ll be able to see them even from space.

  57. i’m sure Bernie will now extend the Malaysian GP for another 10 years… (love the track, hate his business plans)

  58. “Maybe a poll would be good, then the team might see that there are only 2 people that like it.”

    Make that three :)

    But I doubt if this will be the livery come season 2010

  59. Oh that is a truly horrid image.

  60. Like something you’d find in a really cheesy, cheap and crap arcade style F1 racing game. Probably got rocket launchers that flip out of the sidepods…

    1. rocket launchers that flip out of the sidepods…

      Kewl dude. Where do I sign up? ;)

  61. Teams like Toyota fail to impress; how can Malaysia realistically think to achieve podium in few years?http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/20090915211246/Article
    The colours are the colours of the national flag, but don’t worry, the main sponsor will definitely change that..

    1. how can Malaysia realistically think to achieve podium in few years?

      Those sound like the words of one Vijay Mallya, you know.

  62. Love the colour scheme. You lot are all boring. That said, it looks to me more like a false-colour image map of something from a CFD simulation or a wind tunnel measurement than an actual colour scheme.

    Also, it isn’t a Lotus. If you’re going to paint it that colour, call it a Proton and be done with it.

  63. Prisoner Monkeys
    16th September 2009, 2:17

    Something cool I found out: Malaysia’s national motorsport colours are yellow with white. Lotus’s company colours are yellow with green.

    If Lotus nets Petronas – which is very, very likely given that they’re both Malaysian and both connected to the Malaysian government – then maybe we could see a banana-yellow car with green branding over it. Petronas have already demonstrated that they’re willing to run their logos in colours that suit a team rather than have the team run a livery that suits them.

  64. the team called lotus f1 team…1malaysia f1 team is just the company that run the team. Lotus is not british company anymore. If proton not buy the Lotus in 1994…lotus will gone just like BMC and etc

  65. i’m malaysian and i think this is a bad idea..the politicians who dreamed this up is just in it for the glamour and to rip off the taxpayers money..again..

    here’s my 2 cents..

    http://lewisf1.blogspot.com/2009/09/malaysias-own-f1-team.html

  66. I thought that teams who weren’t awarded a space on the 2010 grid got placed on the FIA’s reserve list in case a team that as been granted an entry can’t make it onto the grid. So what’s the point of having the reserve list if someone who didn’t submit a bid initially can come over the top of you when a space opens up?

    If I was Lola or Prodrive I’d take this as a sign that Bernie really really really doesn’t want you in F1. Bernie clearly thinks that it would be better to have a rainbow coloured Lotus on the grid than Aston Martin or Lola. As much as I’m going to love to see the Lotus name back in F1, I don’t want it to be at the cost of great racing teams like Prodrive and Lola.

  67. Prisoner Monkeys
    16th September 2009, 9:53

    So what’s the point of having the reserve list if someone who didn’t submit a bid initially can come over the top of you when a space opens up?

    I suspect Lotus bought out the Litespeed bid. It would be the only way onot the shortlist.

    If I was Lola or Prodrive I’d take this as a sign that Bernie really really really doesn’t want you in F1. Bernie clearly thinks that it would be better to have a rainbow coloured Lotus on the grid than Aston Martin or Lola.

    Bernie has absolutely no control over which teams join the grid. And don’t forget that Dave Richards won a spot on the 2008 grid, but never made it. The FIA isn’t going to forget that in a hurry. Nor will they forget Lola’s rushed 1997 efforts.

    Or it could just be that while Lola and Prodrive were strong applicants, others were stronger. Did you consider that?

    1. I knew someone would mention Lola’s poor 1997 effort! If the FIA aren’t forgetting Lola’s rushed efforts, why give a start-up team a place on next years grid? Lotus only have 6 months to get the car on the track, and Mike Gascoyne has already admitted that the car will be released “late” and has admitted that this may lead to reliability issues.

  68. Prisoner Monkeys
    16th September 2009, 9:54

    Also, as has been pointed out, the picture of the model is a pre-2009 spec car. It was obviously made at least a year ago, long before this project was even considered.

  69. some people here say that these colors are from the Malaysian flag…???
    Please explain if you can… I don’t see the connection
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Malaysia

    1. They both have red, white, blue and yellow in them. Except they’ve overdone the yellow on the car.

  70. Lol, it’s like someone barfed paint over that poor car.

  71. That looks like the early BAR livery.

  72. the new lotus team should race in Malaysian racing green

  73. You can say whatever you want regarding the color scheme of the car, but the team has the final decision and they are not getting your opinions. They have the right, period. Regarding the drivers, I think they’ll sign Yoong since he is still contracted and tied up with Proton Axes (malaysian Racing team for touring cars) and again, they have the final rights who to pick up and they are not getting your opinions. Period!

    1. So what?

      To be honest this is a disgrace on the Lotus name. Not just the godawful appearance of the car but the whole package.

      Lotus is historically one of the greatest names in F1. It’s bad enough that they as a car manufacturer had to go cap in hand to Proton – renowned maker of some of the worst cars in class – in order to survive.
      Now this travesty, that will never score a point and will serve only to be a mobile chicane. Unbelievably, even more so with the likes of Yoong at the wheel.

      Let Lotus F1 rest in peace or scrap the ridiculous A1GP inspired idea of building it all in Malaysia with one of the worlds most politically corrupt and oppressive regimes.

  74. If it’s going to be Lotus, it has to be British Racing Green with a yellow strip down the middle.

    Anything else is an insult to Colin Chapman and Jimmy Clark.

  75. That paint scheme looks hideous. I’m sorry Team Lotus / Malaysia, but come on. Do you not have a slew of designers waiting on your doorstep to help design this thing? I would die to work on a project like this – yet a 10 year old was able to airbrush it :(

  76. lets bring back tobacco advertising and their wicked colour schemes, and also let people know smoking is cool. B)

  77. does lotus actually have anything to do with this team…or is it just a name to get attention???

    1. Yes it does. They are in charge of the engineering but manufacturing will be carried out by malaysians I think.

  78. force india fan(ex toyota fan)
    17th September 2009, 19:04

    hoppfully this is a plastic, 2007, renalt practical joke that “project rainbow” made! come on it needs to scrap that horrable 1malazia name and get the lotus green and yellow that is crap!!!

  79. ok… well for a start, the colours should be in yellow/green… which i am 90% sure they will be… they wanted the name so bad that it cost them millions.. i am sure they are gonna use the colours as well. also as for the lotus drivers for 2010, u just have to look at the facts… they want experienced drivers who are looking at the end of their careers who can give valuable input to the team, they are not looking for malaysians(yet), so… barrichello who does not have a drive for next year, and fisi.. who ferarri already said that he will be a backup driver for them.. in 2010.. but are open to “loan” the driver out to help keep him race ready if he is needed back in the team, they are prolly the two best experienced(quality) drivers available and up for grabs.

    i have looked all over the net trying to find out who will be driving for lotus next year. and could not find much. but when u put it all together. this is the only conclusion i came to.

    Lotus car 2010, yellow and green
    Drivers, rubins, and fisi

    (sorry if there are typos i didnt check)

    1. yellow & green represents brazil that wont happen in F1, &now ive heard that they will play the uk anthem yes ? the foundations of lotus were born in UK i do believe..

  80. UGLY. Its embarrassing. 1 NOT Malaysia. Designer gone mad.

  81. That is far too vulgar to be the colours of Lotus. Bring back the emerald green body with the yellow stripe, I say.

  82. It looks like as if someone blended a pizza and vomitted blue paint all over it

  83. oh no I haven’t seen that color on F1 cars A1 maybe looks awful for F1 cars pls keep colors to a minimum

  84. here are the real lotus colours, looks like pete pigotts got something going.

    http://www.petepigott.com/lotus_f1_2010.html

  85. It looks like an new malaysia lotus F1 racing model

  86. who ever says this team fails deliberately sux dog balls on a daily basis. ive seen the real pictures here!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoA2KkxgJr8

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