Lotus engine switch not Cosworth's fault

(GMM) Lotus did not split with Cosworth because the British supplier's engine was not good enough.

That is the claim of Mike Gascoyne, after deciding to break a longer contract with Cosworth ahead of 2011 to agree deals with Renault and Red Bull.

As did HRT and Virgin, Lotus has used the Xtrac gearbox that came bundled with the Cosworth engine in 2010 and was disappointed with the unit's performance and reliability.

Gascoyne told redbull.com: "Unfortunately this year their (Cosworth's) partner let them down very badly. We struggled all year and frankly they haven't got on top of it even now."

Instead, Lotus will use a Renault engine attached to a Red Bull gearbox next year and beyond.

"Cosworth were certainly a victim of something that wasn't their doing. Certainly the reliability of the drivetrain package was the driving factor in our decision to change," added Gascoyne.

HRT has decided to use a Williams gearbox in 2011, but Virgin is sticking with its chosen route for now.

"Ours is a little bit different (a situation) in that it is pretty much our own gearbox with internals manufactured elsewhere," explained team boss John Booth.