2011 Lotus Renault GP Livery Unveiled At Autosport  International

Petrov unveils the new Lotus Renault GP livery

Crowds gathered on the first day of the world’s greatest motorsport show, Autosport International, to see the high-profile unveiling of Lotus Renault GP’s black and gold Formula One livery. The team’s driver Vitaly Petrov and F1 legend Jean Alesi took the covers off at the show to reveal the 2011 Lotus Renault GP colors.

“I didn’t know much about F1 and Lotus when I was young," said Russian driver Vitaly Petrov. “But when I came to Europe I felt a sense of the Lotus history and the team left a big impression on me. Being part of this squad makes me very happy and also proud. My ambitions for 2011 are clear: I will do my best and fight for poles and podium finishes."

Eric Bouiller, Team Principal at Lotus Renault GP added: “Our line up with Lotus gives us a sense of stability. This commitment is a great achievement for us and through this we have a long-term vision. This is obviously very exciting for us and we are all thrilled at the opportunities ahead. I strongly believe that with Vitaly and Robert Kubica we have the best drivers for our F1 team."

The Lotus Renault GP unveiling was just one of the many launches that took place at Autosport International today. Also revealed was the first ever sports prototype racing car from British sportscar manufacturer Caterham Cars, the Caterham-Lola SP/300.R. Designed for the trackday market, both in the UK and overseas, only 25 models will be manufactured each year.

“The motorsport market is growing rapidly domestically and abroad. This provided the opportunity for us to look at a race and trackday product particularly for our customers abroad," said Ansar Ali, Managing Director at Caterham Cars. “However, we felt that it was important that the car is true to the DNA of Caterham: it has to be thrilling and engaging, and it has to be value for money."

“We are very successful with the Seven, but the market is at a stage where the customers are demanding something more," added James Drake, Marketing Manager at Caterham Cars. “With the SP/300.R we are hoping to sell a product that they are looking for: a demanding and fast racing car with bigger downforce."

Autosport International Show Director Ian France said: “The 2011 Lotus Renault GP livery and the brand new Caterham are just two of the exciting new cars fans can discover at the show. We’ve also seen the launch of the Ginetta G55, the Ariel Atom 500 V8 and three new models from Radical Sportscars. All will be on show until Sunday, providing some great sights for weekend show visitors."