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Blogvent Days 18 & 19 - Fans embrace new F1 teams in 2010

Sport

There may be an increasing battle off the track to claim official use of the Lotus name in Formula 1 next season but in 2010 there was one Lotus Racing outfit which became a firm fixture in the paddock and a favourite with F1 fans.

Having had their official entry confirmed as late as September 2009, Lotus Racing – headed by AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes and F1 technical guru Mike Gascoyne – worked tirelessly over the winter to produce their Cosworth-powered T127 race car. The car was launched to a star-studded fanfare in London in February before embarking on a pre-season testing programme in Spain.

Just six months after confirmation of their entry, the team proudly lined up on the Bahrain grid with two race cars - the #18 of Jarno Trulli and #19 of Heikki Kovalainen – and went on to become the most successful of the three new teams over the season’s 19 races.

Lotus also embraced the sport’s legion of fans, adopting a clear social media strategy to engage with fans through Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and their own website. At a UK Sports Network event in July, which we were fortunate enough to be involved with, Lotus divulged their strategy to a mainly football-focussed audience and won themselves a roomful of new fans with their candour and openness.

Formula One is often criticised for its standoffishness, but Lotus Racing – and indeed the sport’s two other new teams in 2010, Hispania Racing and Virgin Racing – helped break down those barriers between the sport and the fans. They may have seen their fair share of blue flags on the track, but they certainly helped give Formula One a green light in the online community.

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