Lotus Racing has announced a strengthening of its senior management team, with S.M. Nasarudin and Dato' Kamarudin Meranun joining Tony Fernandes as deputy team principals. The duo are shareholders of the Norfolk-based squad.
Lotus, returning to Formula 1 after an absence of 16 years, said it hopes the changes will give the team a strong leadership to tackle the challenge of racing in Formula 1 again.
"We made this dream possible, turning it from a simple Malaysian dream to reality," said Nasarudin. "This was all made possible through passion, hard work and team spirit. As with all the challenges that we have had to face to get where we are now, we embraced these challenges as a team and now are even more determined to finish what we have started.
"We are realistic of our goals and by no means will it be easy from this point onward, but the belief is there. We will consistently bring with us a professional and confident setup to each of the races for this season. As team owners, and in our Deputy Principal's roles, it further reflects our continued belief and commitment to this team."
Fernandes added: "Our goals and objectives are clear but, as mentioned earlier, there is still a huge task at hand. We have 19 races to go through and, with the three of us assisting each other in our roles, we believe that the management has all the necessary resources to bring the team to the forefront."
Lotus is taking to the track at Jerez tomorrow for its first public outing with the new T127 car.