NOVEMBER 8, 2011

Nielsen swaps Lotus for Caterham!

Steve Nielsen, former Lotus Renault Grand Prix sporting director, who left the team earlier this year, is to take up the same role with Tony Fernandes™ Team Lotus operation, soon to be renamed Caterham.

Nielsen has previously worked with technical chief Mike Gascoyne at both Tyrrell and Renault™s Enstone base. One of his first tasks when he joins the team next month will be to oversee a planned factory move from the team™s Norfolk base to the former Arrows premises in Leafield.

Nielsen will take over from Dieter Gass, who is understood to be returning to his native Germany.

Nielsen was previously offered the Team Lotus role by Fernandes but turned it down. The ability to recruit key staff has been cited by Fernandes as one of the main reasons for the team™s decision to base its core factory away from its current Hingham, Norfolk HQ.