Lotus confirm Trulli and Kovalainen

Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen will race for Lotus in 2010, the team have announced.

Malaysia's sports minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek made the announcement at a press conference on Monday in which it was also revealed that Malaysian-born Fairuz Fauzy will act as the team's third driver.

Trulli has long been linked with the team but Kovalainen's arrival comes as bit of a surprise.

Lotus team principal Tony Fernandes is confident that his team's line-up posses the right balance to succeed but remained realistic about what the team could achieve in their first season.

"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," said Fernandes.

Lotus join Campos, Manor and US F1 as the newcomers on an expanded 26-car grid and Fernandes is aiming to be the best of the new bunch.

"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."

Having lost his spot at McLaren to World Champion Jenson Button, the 28-year-old Kovalainen revealed he had been pleasantly surprised by the tremendous progress the team have achieved in a short period.

""I recently visited our factory and was so impressed by seeing how far the team has come in such a short time since it was launched in September, and by how determined everyone is to meet Tony's ambitious targets," explained Kovalainen.

"I knew immediately it would be a fantastic opportunity to help them achieve their goals," the Finn added.

The experienced Trulli will join forces with technical director Mike Gascoyne for the third time in his career, having previously worked with the Briton at Renault and Toyota. Trulli admits that Gascoyne's presence was key in his decision to join the team.

"I have been impressed by the long-term vision of the team management and technical staff," Trulli said in a statement.

"Tony has set out very ambitious plans and I am ready to help the team achieve these high targets.

"I am also pleased to be back working alongside Mike Gascoyne, someone with whom I have enjoyed previous success at other teams. I get on very well with him and I respect his working style," the Italian added.

Source: Lotus confirm Trulli and Kovalainen - Planet-F1 News - from planet-f1.com