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Lotus stalls on Malaysian move

ESPNF1 Staff
February 13, 2010 « Michelin ponders a return to Formula One | »
The Lotus team with its new car - staying in the UK for the time being © Sutton Images
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Lotus has put on hold plans to relocate in the near future to Malaysia.

At the time of the team's official entry last September, the FIA said Lotus' plan was to be based at the Sepang circuit. A few days later the Malaysian prime minister went further, stating the cars would be designed, made and tested at the venue near Kuala Lumpur.

"It will all be made in Malaysia, and made by Malaysians," he said, adding that even the pit crew would be made up of Malaysians. However, Lotus' 2010 car, launched in London on Friday, has been designed at Hingham in Norfolk.

"Right now, stability is important and there are no plans to move to Malaysia yet," team boss Tony Fernandes, also head of the Malaysian airline AirAsia, said. "In time, obviously, it would be great to be in Malaysia because there's a Formula One track, but we have no immediate plans to move."

He said the idea of relocating to Sepang would be reconsidered next year.

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