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Destiny in our hands - Gascoyne

ESPNF1 Staff
December 14, 2011 « Kolles and HRT part ways | New driver line-up at Toro Rosso »
Mike Gascoyne: "I don't think we get too emotional about waving goodbye to Team Lotus" © Sutton Images
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Mike Gascoyne believes that Caterham's new identity will allow it to push on and beat the more established teams in Formula One.

Previously Team Lotus, the team officially took on the Caterham name today after announcing that its new car will be called the CT01. The move aligns the team with the car company of the same name as part of the Caterham Group, and sees it relinquish the rights to the Team Lotus name and history of the team. Gascoyne said that while he was proud to bring Lotus back to Formula One, he was not too sad to relinquish the name as the team members and ethic remains the same.

"I think that we can be very proud that we brought the Lotus name back to Formula One," Gascoyne told Team Lotus Notes. "However, I don't think we get too emotional about waving goodbye to Team Lotus, simply because we have always been clear that it was the name of the team we have used for the past couple of years, and what makes up the team has been the really important factor in what we've already achieved.

"My overwhelming feeling is that is that we can be proud of what we did as Team Lotus. But we have our own brand now. Our destiny is in our own hands and although it would be nice if it had been the Lotus brand it wasn't, in the end, possible and it's for Group Lotus to do what they wish with the name. But I think, overwhelmingly, what we did was unique and we can be proud of what we achieved over the past two years."

Gascoyne said that attention would now turn to moving up the grid, as the last two years have seen the team establish itself both financially and logistically.

"We've finished the championship in 10th place two years running and that puts us on a sound financial footing. We are now an established Formula One team. I think with the announcements we've made about corporate developments and the new partners we have, we are showing we are a really serious outfit, so now it's time to take the fight to more established teams and start beating them.

"We've always been a proper racing team but we were one constrained by the limitations of being a new team. Now, though, it's time to move on. We've established ourselves and it's now time to get on with beating the opposition. We've got our name, we've got our identity and now we'll get out there and go racing."

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