FEBRUARY 27, 1995

Hopes flows freely from Pacific

After what can only be described as an embarrassing season in F1 last year, Keith Wiggins's Pacific Grand Prix is looking ahead to a much better 1995.

After what can only be described as an embarrassing season in F1 last year, Keith Wiggins's Pacific Grand Prix is looking ahead to a much better 1995.

The new "Pacific Team Lotus" was launched last week in London's theatreland amid bright lights and dry ice.

The new Pacific-Ford PR02 chassis, designed by Frank Coppuck and his team at Thetford, England, surprised many of the F1 press corps with its unusual "tea-tray" front wing, which sticks out markedly in front and around the nose of the car. The chassis also features unusual high sidepods.

The new car is expected to begin testing in about 10 days, probably at Snetterton racing circuit, near Norwich, England.

The team revealed a healthy list of sponsors including Interflora, Ursus, Igol, Hewlett Packard, Catamaran, Quest International, Bellerose, Kenwood, MIRA and Cargo Express but hopes to be able to add to this portfolio as soon as its Far Eastern sponsorship-finding operation begins to attract backers.

The team has nominated only one driver at the moment, Bertrand Gachot (who is a shareholder in Pacific) but it is expected to announce shortly that Portuguese driver Pedro Lamy will be the second driver.