Bryan Herta Autosport Confirms Partnership with Lotus for 2012

Bryan Herta

A partnership between Bryan Herta Autosport and Lotus Motorsport was officially unveiled today during a press conference held at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Bryan Herta was on hand for the announcement which will see the Indianapolis 500 winning team enter the IZOD IndyCar Series as a full-time participant in 2012 utilizing the Lotus V-6 powerplant.

“Obviously, this is an incredibly exciting step for us," said Herta. “Our goal all along has been to build our foundation to eventually compete as a full-time entrant in the series. To partner with Lotus, which has such a rich history and tradition in racing including at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is just tremendous. All of us are looking forward to working closely with Lotus to support their efforts."

BHA, which served as the official test team for the Dallara DW12 chassis, is expecting to turn their first laps with Lotus power in January. In addition to BHA, Lotus today also announced partnerships with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and HVM Racing with all three teams benefiting from individual testing and development work.

“Myself, Claudio Berro [Director of Lotus Motorsport] and all of us at Lotus are very proud to have Bryan and his team with us for sure," said Olivier Picquenot, Lotus Indy Project Manager. “Bryan’s name, experience and what he has accomplished with Bryan Herta Autosport make us honored to be working with him and his team. We are looking forward to not only next season but to a long partnership."

Additional details of BHA’s 2012 program will be announced in the coming weeks.