Lotus F1 signs Jarno Trulli and Hekki Kovalainen

The lineup was officially announced at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on Monday by Malaysia’s Sport Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who emphasized the Malaysian’s Government expectations from its support of the new team.

The Malaysian minister further congratulated Lotus on its experienced choice of drivers, stating, "I'm personally impressed with Lotus F1 Racing driver line-up for next year, with its good combination of experience, drive and stamina."

Trulli joins Lotus from the Toyota team, which had withdrawn from the sport at the end of the 2009 season, while Kovalainen joins from the McLaren-Mercedes team, where he had been replaced by 2009 World Champion Jenson Button.

Lotus team principal Tony Fernandes said that the duo will bring both experience and exuberance to the team. He said, "Trulli will bring us a lot of experience to develop the team. Heikki is a young driver with a lot of experience so I think we have fantastic drivers, with Fairuz as well. It is a wonderful mix of experience, youth and passion."

Lotus is one of the four new teams in F1 next season, along with Campos, US F1 and Manor, and Fernandes says that their objective is to be the best among the new teams in 2010. "We are not setting any big targets, we want to at least be the best of the new teams," he said. "But I think it shows our seriousness today by announcing two really world class drivers."