Team Lotus reserve driver Fairuz Fauzy has parted ways with Team Lotus. The 28-year-old Malaysian driver’s next move is return to full-time racing next year. His contribution to the Malaysian owned team was two test days in the winter, and Friday practice runs in the Malaysian, British, German, Singapore and Abu Dhabi GPs.
A statement from Fauzy’s management confirms the divorce. “Just last week, Lotus Racing prematurely released Fairuz from what was supposed to be a five-year contract, a move some may see as a detriment to the team after the insight, experience and exposure Fairuz has gained over the last 12 months with Lotus Racing,” it read.
It will not be the last we’ll see him in the paddock though. “In view of such developments as well, Fairuz has decided to contemplate other options and offers he has been receiving as of late from other Formula 1 teams, which also affords him the opportunity and flexibility to compete in other racing series at the same time,” the statement added.
another 1Malaysia/Proton project?
aiya, go play drifting la. F1 is not for malaysian, before at age 25, what kind of car are we driving? and driving those kind of cars will teach us anything about driving?
its not like those europeans that exposed to all kinds of good handling car at low price. Its not his fault, its the whole environment of msia that is not encouraging driving. most are so proud of driving a camry, which also teaches nothing about dirivng. how many can afford a proper european car? not many.
all the best to him.
Not sure why all that negative thumbs down.
We malaysian has always been disadvantaged when it comes to automotive competition.
The reason being the lack of facilities and the lack of financial resources to support such endeavours and aspirations.
I personally know 2 european colleagues that have started their kids on karts as early as 6….and having raced against them before, I know what sort of skill level they attain by 8. (already going into superkarts – and to be honest these superkarts still scare the shit out of me……as I don’t get to drive them very often). Will they amount to anything in motorsports? maybe, but most likely not….so imagine the pool of talent they get selected from.
Driving in difficult conditions also slowly hones skill level, I have been involved in ice racing before, and know off parents putting thier mid teen kids in a “race car (ie. any POS junk with ice tyres on)” on an ice circuit and let them be….long before they are even allowed to have a driving license.
You talk about drifting?..these kids slide and slip at every corner throughout the entire 10 or 15 lap sprint race.
Its not about the car they get to drive, but the encouragement and help they get along the way.
i dont think very young european drive cheap good car rite…most euro youngster start from kart not road car. thats y i thumb down…many young malaysia have through that path too from very young age….remember jazeman he start from kart n now he is competing in formula 3 british….we have a bunch of them racing from kart to formula racing..the only hindrance is lacking of sponsorship to go beyond kart that the prob…malaysian business community do not help much to help those young driver to advance
Most will be in karts but they also will have cars to drive on circuits and trails, some even before they hit puberty. That’s how much of a headstart they have.
@haha
Driving a car on the road is definitely not the same as driving on track. No matter what type of race car you’re driving, whether a 370z or a Carrera GT3 for that matter, you can’t duke it on the road as it is illegal – on almost every country in the world. Your point here is not valid.
I’d like to quote from the movie – Tokyo Drift “Its not the ride, its the rider”. I found this to be surprisingly true. I had seen a skilled track driver navigating the Sepang North Track beautifully on a souped up Gen-2 than a green driver driving his expensive-daddy-bought import machine just to fail miserably at the 4th corner.
No matter what type of ride you’re driving, in racing, when your adrenaline kicks in, its all about courage, accurate judgment and the specific “bond” you and your car share.
@4G63tDSM
Automotive racing had always been the sport for the financially sound no matter if its just a pocket bike or a 50cc go-kart. My-kart had set me back nearly 10k with all its glorified accessories. Besides that I’m also up for outdoor challenge and that costs even more than track driving.
But I do believe if you dare to aspire it, the you must dare to pursue and endure it. However, do your research, the governement does encourage motorsports by offering tax and duty exemption (and also incentives) for those interested to pick up motorsports as their hobby or career. Refer to the link below.
http://www.mam.org.my/dutytax.php
Just join an approved motorsports club, and you’re halfway there. :)
Cheers.
those msian drivers are using M3 at least.. or now commonly using GTR R-35
before 25 i drove new FD2 …how bout u?
maybe he knows something that we don’t…
Yeah maybe but our next future candidate probably Jazeman Jaafar for F1 series..
from 1Malaysia F1 team to British-wannabe outfit. good that he stay away from them. real Lotus could be his home.
From the look of this, guess we will not get to see a Malaysian F1 driver anytime soon then. Not even in a Malaysian team.
shame on to idiots in team lotus management which likely relying to foreigner driver…
airasia+maxis+naza = idiots….
The problem is Malaysia companies know how to sponsor/give monies to formula 1 teams but not developing local drivers. Fairuz Fauzy is actually our best Malaysian driver for single seater series but from Friday practice sessions we can see his struggling as well.
Perhaps he needs to do more racing in Le Mans series or lower single seater series like Superleague, formula 2, auto GP, or the Indy series. He should gain more racing experience before maybe reconsider going to be a full fletched F1 driver rather than being a reserve/test F1 driver.
Before u all bash, yes he is one of Mofaz’s son but i bet you all don’t know he did finished as 1st runner up in the World Series Renault single seater racing in 2009. That series did spark current F1 champ Sebastian Vettel into F1.
Our next best is another local prodigy Jazeman Jaafar, who finished 1st on his debut year on Formula BMW Pacific when his just 16 years old. Even his struggling in the British Formula 3 series due to very intense competitors from Europe…….
14 yrs old actually when he win the formula bmw asia in 2007 after given FIA international Class C racing license age exemption from FIA due to his talent
he struggling but he score point in his debut year in carlin f3 team n 2 time he took podium
And he is sponsored by Petronas (for British F3 and before that in Formula Bmw Europe)
Not very good PR for them.
letting Fairuz Fauzy or jazeman driving for the lotus team?!!
Tony Fernandes might have to wear up like airasia stewardess..
This is from which Lotus team? btw
Team Lotus (Tony’s Lotus Racing)
the 1MalaysiaF1 Lotus
please la…drop dat 1malaysia f1 team…theres no 1malaysia f1 team…dat name just to fool all of us…aiisshh~
well said.. now British-wannabe got la, 1Malaysia F1 team is history.
please la…dont say dat 1malaysia f1 team…no 1malaysia f1 team laa…dat name just to fool all of us…so we can all accept thier decision to waste money~
they never refer themself as 1malaysia team
but dany bahar did
LOL
they never refer themselves as 1Malaysia team but when they signed up the Renault engine, the supply contract is to supply the 1MalaysiaF1 team and not Team Lotus or even Lotus Racing for that matter….so yes their official trade name is 1MalaysiaF1 Team but they use Lotus Racing under Proton license and now going to use Team Lotus since they bought the Team Lotus brand from David Hunt
haihhhhhhh…….
Petronas GP Racing vs Team Lotus vs Lotus Renault…
3 Malaysian company challenging each others!!!
Then, the winner is ……
i like to see malaysia driver…rather than company…as for fairuz,its good move 4 him,get race,experience..win trophies,then comebck here..f1
many malaysian don trust Malaysian talent especially some of paultan reader
MCLAREN MERCEDES!
correct me if I’m wrong.. but I think Tony’s Team Lotus is considered the real malaysian F1 team, since the lotus renault and petronas mercedes gp, only have lotus and petronas as the main sponsor..
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think team lotus racing is the only real malaysian f1 team, since petronas mercedes gp and lotus-renault is only having petronas and lotus as a main sponsor..
wait for another 2 years.
Go to the ‘Black’ Lotus!!…. and have a good position in the race… that would make someone bang their head to the wall…
I concur. Go there, you might help Team Lotus (not LotusRenault) a lot.
is he not good enuf in F1?
Even the best from malaysia if go out there is just another flop…….. he maybe best in the kampung but not overseas.
look this approve wat i’m saying in my comment above
if he is the best in malaysia kampung… not internationally
then, what is your level in this kampung?
i think maybe proton-lotus-renault team offer him higher pays la….
we’ll see in short time proton-lotus-renault announce him as a driver
test driver.
The other partners will never agree having him as a full timer, especially the russian ones.
Lotus Racing terminated his contract. He did not quit the team. Read the announcement properly la.
Stop whining already, Malaysians can’t drive for crap. Always crashing into trees, in to ditches, thrown out of cars onto roads getting run over by a 18 wheeler or into the ocean (Penang Bridge), hitting medians, airborne into the opposite lane. Malaysian drivers should be hired as cheap stuntman for Bollywood.
Best of all, always losing control= SPEEDING, or so many cases. Just report the freakin truth, another reckless dickhead speeding and slams into car from opposing lane, tree, median, behind a truck, into a bus. No transparency, why cover up the wrongful actions of a reckless driver who places others life in danger.
Safety is not a priority in 3rd world nations, so sad.
fuhhhh…you’re aboslutely correct. those skills, only proton drivers know how to do it..
owh… you also mean some Honda driver than thinks their Vtec is a ferrari engine?
long time ago was used in F1….
you’re saying it like those accidents never happen in other countries. c’mon man don’t be a douchie.
Malaysia don’t need ppl like YOU.
we’re not a 3rd world nation btw. developing and 3rd world country bring two totally different meaning. look up Mr. Expat
while i don’t think he’s ready to become an F1 driver i do think that he should have at least test driver + reserve driver status as a jump start to Malaysian driver development program….Alex Yoong is pretty much and now Jazeman Jaafar is our only hope….
he was test driver for spyker before becoming lotus racing test driver….we have several of them not only jazeman..
The problem with F1 now is that there is nothing much a test driver can do. Before a test driver would get hours and hours or track time with the test team while the race team was concurrently racing. It was not very difficult for a test driver to step into main driving duties should the opportunity arose.
Now testing is severely limited to only 2-3 multi day sessions pre season and a simple aero test mid season.
If Fairuz was not up to par a year ago, he is even worse by now. He should’ve put his F1 dream on the shelf temporarily and focus on WINNING the GP2 or WSbR championship in 2010. Then he will be sharp enough for F1 in 2011.
If he is joining Lotus Renault GP I think Team Lotus would be cheering him on! All the easier for Heikki and Jarno.
even a big company like toyota pull out their team due to unbearable cost of F1 , suddenly u can see malaysian companies have 3 … i mean THREE team in F1 , meaning our local companies r so damn super rich to make this thing happenned.. and in malaysa scenario , we still can see a lot poor citizen living under a small , beyond repairable house…if only these companies can help those poor guy or sponsor education fot their children.. maybe the CEO need to see ” BERSAMAMU TV3″
aiyo
u think the companies never help the poor ah??
how much u want those companies to pour their money to the poors??
until the poors can be like donald trump or what?
realy2 agree with u…those fat belly petronas,naza need to see bersamamu…damn…if i said waste of money,sure most of u will bash..saying dis is for long term,just look at sepang,cberjya,putrajaya..bla,bla…but whtever it is..people comes 1st..not business..people..coz we r the one who make this people rich,n they spend they richness in this way…haiyoo~
wat bout their neighbour who near to poor people wat there do, wat u do? the fat company have many programme that help the poor most of us don aware of it….just google them..naza charity, maxis charity, petronas charity, cimb charity…n etc charity..but i don see ur charity that a letdown
big company have and always contribute toward society
the question is what is your contribution?
only know how to point your finger meh?
silly you
LOL
:D
In those practices, he made some of them faster than heikki and trulli . He’s the one who supposed to be the driver.
nah.. Fairuz NEVER beat Trulli or Heikki in Free practice 1
GP Malaysia
Fairuz – 22th
Trulli – 19th
GP British
Fairuz – 23th
Heikki – 19th
GP German
Fairuz – 21th
Trulli – 15th
GP Singapore
Fairuz – 24th
Heikki – 15th
GP Abu Dhabi
Fairuz – 24th
Trulli – 20th
but Fairuz beat Micheal Schumacher tho in GP German Free Practice 1
LOL
:D
Fairuz NEVER beat Trulli or Heikki in those free practice 1
All thats happening is he is looking for other opportunities to find a race seat and maybe still be involved in some way or another with other F1 teams on more of a part time basis, in between races/race seasons.
In that way, he can build up more real race experience as well as not loose touch in F1 development. Its better if he does this rather than being ‘stuck’ with occasional stints in the car with Tony’s Lotus team.
I agree with you, his development at Team Lotus is restricted, not their fault either giving the rules about testing etc, I hope he gets a decent drive somewhere and perhaps gets another chance in F1….and yeah, 1Malaysia racing Team my arse!
Have this Fairuz Fauzy pay JPJ summons this few weeks with discount before go for F1 race?? Otherwise, please pay before he make mistake in F1 history again. F1 no summons one ler, but will either bring you up or shameful bad result embarrased our country.
Have Fairuz Fauzy clear his summons before go for F1??
i hope Tony didn’t sack him just b’coz he didn’t bring in enough money… Fairuz are really good actually.. a lot better than Alex.. btw, what happen to Alex? in the beginning of the year (2010) he was suppost to team up with Lotus Racing as ‘something’… missed the news..
better not to let alex drive larr..stll cant forget..in australia gp if i’m correct,he almost got 1 point as most of driver got wrecked,but at the end..sum1 got passed him,n so he got no point..jazeman our future in f1,fairuz can stll mke it :)
he act as airasia driver development programme…..do u ever heard bout alonso in 2001 when he still in same minardif1 team he too not get a point n look now where he is..2 time world cham…alex just too late when he enter f1
thanks for answering my Q bro.. :) really hope that Alex will find his way back in F1 in managemenet roles & eventually teaming up with Lotus Renault GP… the REAL LOTUS…
Alex also didn’t have a good car to begin with.
It is a miracle just to finish.
Don’t understand the quotes about money and sponsors. I thought reports earlier this year suggested that he was a paid driver, not paying driver.
because team lotus cant afford him
no lah.. i think he just keep Fairuz there to keep Big G & some sponsors happy.. now Big G will support Lotus Renault GP with GL/Proton so he show his true ‘skin’ la… typical businessman… pity Fairuz….
Maybe he is bored not racing and just being a test driver?
bro.. his contract being end prematurely by Team Lotus… not that Fairuz asked to end it in the 1st place…
Lotus Racing terminated his contract la, he did not quit the team.
Now we know why the cloned lotus was at the bottom rung.
no quota to compete in F1 probaby
actually Fernandes’s Team Lotus who terminated the contract . yeah.. what can you do when someone dont need you anymore? Poor Fauzi … i hope Lotus-renault would take him as test driver atleast.. forget about fernandes and his fake team lotus.
“Regrettably, we received an official notification last week from Lotus Racing that Fairuz’s contract has been prematurely terminated without reason,” manager Haji Fauzy confirmed, “We respect the decision but, as Fairuz’s driver development programme began 25 years ago, we are determined and committed to pursue his career goal as a professional driver. We are now looking at all avenues to fit him as a full-time race driver in an international racing series of the same stature, but of course F1 is our main priority.”
United States of Malaysia aka 1Malaysia? Tak jadi la, all beruk wanna be king…
as expected he won’t last with his kind of performance…
maybe proton-lotus will hire hime :P
as expected with his poor performance…he will be kick out…
maybe he will join proton-lotus
You know….if you want to find the best words to describe your opinion, do it in your mind and carefully think about it…. DO NOT do it by posting twice here about same lame opinion in different words…. no matter how you placed your words it still sound lame….
dude…sorry…i posted once…then my browser shows no msg…so i try post again…though i cant remember my earlier post each and every word…anyway my bad..paultan pls delete my post
Sedih kerana 3 syarikat Malaysia Petronas,Proton dan Air Aisa tak membantu local driver ,BODOH bagi mat salleh bawak guna duit rakyat Malaysia…………
Proton has helped a lot of local racer and petronas too…. they has helped as much as they could…so don’t blame them is the local driver cannot excel internationally….. Air Aisa on the other hand…. hmmmm….
hey man. get your facts right first before bullshitting. I am not sure about airasia or proton. but petronas has done a lot. facts? rajin-rajinlah membaca wahai kawan.
eh now sapa yang bodoh? 3 syarikat malaysia tu, mat salih or kau (rossi)?
He needs to be in competitive racing soon, any type of car race because time is not on his side.
Need GLC support quick.
Tony’s team running on smaller budget, need to cut him slack for being still in the game.
It’s is also not fair to keep him as a reserve / test driver only. Maybe better to go to the real Lotus team?