F1 2010: Lotus team guide

Lotus F1 drivers Jarno Trulli, right, and Heikki Kovalainen, left, have their arms held aloft by the team principal, Tony Fernandes. Photograph: Mark Baker/AP

In the green and yellow corner

The return of a hugely famous name almost two decades since they last trod the F1 boards. Essentially a brand new team tapping into the emotional DNA of the great Colin Chapman's pacesetters of the 60s and 70s. Backed by a Malaysian consortium which includes Proton, owners of the Lotus Cars operation also based in Norfolk.

Highs and lows

Won 78 grands prix between 1960 and 1987, but always had a reputation for mechanical frailty as engineering wizard Chapman, the company founder, pared components to the bone in an effort to save weight. Legends Jim Clark and Jochen Rindt were killed at the wheel of these cars and Stirling Moss was almost, twice. Rindt became the sport's only posthumous world champion.

Just don't mention

That Chapman defrauded the British government of £11m for development work on the hopeless Belfast-built DeLorean sports car and would have spent a lengthy term in chokey had he not died from a heart attack in 1982.

Change is good

Could be the hottest of the four new kids on the block. The team has some very practical engineers headed by the talented Mike Gascoyne. In that respect they have the potential to rekindle the Lotus legend but this time the wheels won't be falling off at 130mph.

Stands out in a crowd

An almost magical nostalgia for great times past. Add to that a pragmatic understanding that it will be a big challenge getting the best out of the latest Cosworth V8 engine. Lotus won first time out with the original Cosworth V8 at the 1967 Dutch GP. Don't bank on a repeat of that.

Most likely to crash into

Williams. Sir Frank's squad will be the obvious target for the revived Lotus cars as they are the only established rival to use the Cosworth power plant. They will want to sweep aside Virgin, Campos Meta and US F1. And if they cannot do that, there will be tears before bedtime.

Pitboard message

Jarno, look out, your sparring partner Sutil is on your tail.

Who pulls the strings

Gascoyne likes his own way on technical matters and is a tough character. He walked out of Toyota a few years ago after the management had the temerity to voice some preferences about how they'd like their team run. Gascoyne is still in the business, of course, and Toyota are not.

Cockpit combination

Pretty well matched. Trulli and Kovalainen are both seeking to kick-start their careers after a succession of false dawns.

What's in the boot?

A brand new engine designed to get the best out of the regulations which require an 18,000rpm maximum operating speed in the FIA's interests of performance parity across the range. In other words, everybody should be as equal as possible. Fingers crossed that Cosworth have pitched their performance at the right level.

Tiger in the tank

Aerodynamic excellence and attention to detail. The rules may try to stifle innovation but Gascoyne believes that "we've got to focus on the key areas or we are dead". That includes getting right the tricky balance between the car's length and width to accommodate the bigger fuel load now that refuelling is banned.

Twitter this

Nice green car, reminds me of Jim Clark's 60s heyday.

Not this

Last time they won anything the cars were yellow.

Title odds

80-1

If they were an iPhone app

Flashlight

Shines a light in what had threatened to become an eternal darkness and promises to become a beacon. Can be a thing of beauty and proves that the simplest ideas are often the best but tends to use up an awful lot of power. It has its roots away from Britain but remains popular here despite its use of unfamiliar colours. Don't expect too much, though. Nothing fancy – all it really does is illuminate the way forward

The drivers

1. Jarno Trulli, 35, Italy

He's the one who

Has the Kirk Douglas dimple, makes his own wine and scours jewellers to expand his already vast collection of watches. Overdue haircut has stopped him looking like a wooden spoon with eyes, nose and mouth drawn on it and long strands of wool to curtain its face.

On track for

Journeyman with a fine record in qualification and holding up quicker cars in the Trulli Train during the race. He won in Monaco in 2004 and was second in Japan last year. Perfect safe pair of hands for a new team but will stop traffic only in the same manner he always has.

In another life he'd be

Public Enemy's Flavor Flav, whose sole raison d'être is demonstrating he possesses the equipment to tell people what time it is.

2. Heikki Kovalainen, 28, Finland

He's the one who

Has a barely profitable sideline as an Alf-Inge Haaland lookalike. If Finns are supposed to be fast just as Brazilian footballers are supposed to be silky, he's been a bit of a Dunga to date. It's a big fall from McLaren to Lotus, the equivalent of dropping out of the Champions League to the Conference. He needs to carry his stellar Saturday form into Sundays if he is ever to make it back.

On track for

He has the class and a 2008 victory in Hungary to back it up but he laboured in a dog's breakfast of a car last season and Lotus, though full of enthusiasm and potential, are more Pedigree Chum than best in show at this early stage.

In another life he'd be

Hobbling after Roy Keane had danced a polka on his knee.

Facts and figures

Debut Monaco, 1958

Grands prix 489

Wins 78 Poles 102

Constructors' titles 6

Drivers' titles 7

Based Norfolk

Team principals Datuk Seri, Tony Fernandes

Technical director Mike Gascoyne

The car, T127

Engine Cosworth

Tyres Bridgestone