Jarno Trulli, Heikki Kovalainen & Fairuz Fauzy Confirmed As Lotus F1 Drivers

The wait has been unbearable at times, but Lotus F1 Racing's final three drivers have been confirmed, down from the initial six shortlisted. Italian Jarno Trulli and Finn Heikki Kovalainen will be the two main drivers, while Malaysian Fairuz Fauzy will be the reserve driver.

“The appointment of Jarno, Heikki and Fairuz as our race drivers is a testament to the quality of our team, to our ambition and drive, and above all to our long-term vision of success in Formula 1”, team principal Tony Fernandes said, before going on to sing the praises of both Trulli and Kovalainen as “two extremely versatile drivers” with “proven track records in Formula 1”.

Of the only Malaysian Fairuz, he said “He is undoubtedly the best Malaysian senior driver at the moment and it is a pleasure to welcome him into Malaysia's Formula 1 team”.

The 35-year-old F1 veteran Trulli, who previously raced for Toyota, and 28-year-old Kovalainen, who raced alongside Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, will bring the relevant and necessary experience to Lotus F1 Racing's debut season.

Fauzy, the only Malaysian even shortlisted among the final six, has been widely rumoured to take up the position as the third driver, which of course turns out to be correct. “There is no greater honour than having the chance to drive for your country. I was given the opportunity to do that for A1 Team Malaysia in A1GP for a couple of years, but to have the chance to join Malaysia's first fully fledged Formula 1 team is very special for me and the highlight of my career so far”, he said.