Lotus has now formally confirmed that it will use Mercedes power from next season, after the team successfully completed the paperwork for its exit from Renault.
The deal will last “until the end of the current Power Unit generation,” and as part of it Lotus will become a partner of Petronas. The Enstone team will continue to build its own gearbox
“We intend to return to the front of the field with the goals of winning Grands Prix and being a strong championship contender once more,” said Lotus F1 CEO Matthew Carter. “And we see this new agreement as one step towards this aim. The Mercedes-Benz Power Unit has shown good performance on track and it is our goal to marry this motive force to Enstone's chassis expertise. It is our desire that the E23 Hybrid, powered by Mercedes-Benz, heralds a new era of success for Enstone. At this juncture we would also like to thank Renault, who have been so closely associated with the team over its history and for the joint success we have achieved together.”
Andy Cowell, Managing Director of Mercedes AMG HPP said: “Lotus F1 Team is a strong technical group with excellent facilities and I am confident that together we will deliver a step forward in track performance next year. In 2014, the organization at Brixworth has demonstrated that it can support three customer teams to the high standards expected of Mercedes-Benz, in addition to our focus on the works Silver Arrows. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to continuing doing so from 2015, as we seek to make further gains in both performance and reliability.”
Toto Wolff added: "It was strategically important for Mercedes-Benz to continue to supply three customers throughout this generation of Power Unit, in addition to the primary focus on our Silver Arrows works team, and it was therefore clear that we would be looking for a new customer from 2015. Lotus F1 Team is an impressive organization that has delivered competitive on-track performances in recent seasons. We are pleased to welcome them to the Mercedes-Benz family and look forward to building a productive and performant working relationship in the years ahead.”
