Lotus: 2012 team champions in profile

• Lotus wins team title in the Formel ADAC with 552 points
• Successful title defence for team boss Timo Rumpfkeil
• Season stats: 10 wins, 24 podiums, eight pole positions and eight fastest race laps

Nürburgring – Lotus is the most successful team of the 2012 season in the Formel ADAC. At the penultimate race weekend of the season, the team won the team title with 552 points ahead of Mücke Motorsport on 435 points. This is the second team title in a row in the Formel ADAC academy for team boss Timo Rumpfkeil. Last year, he led Team Motopark to victory in his debut season with 748 points as compared to the 485 points of ma-con Motorsport.

Lotus began the year with four rookies, ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Marvin Kirchhöfer, Beitske Visser, Kuba Dalewski and Indy Dontje. They rewarded the team’s confidence in them, aided by Swiss driver Jeffrey Schmidt who is in his second Formel ADAC season, with ten wins and 24 podium finishes so far. Once again, Rumpfkeil, himself a former racer in various formula and GT series, has shown his magic touch with newcomers to the sport.

Prominent former pupils

Since setting up in 1998, the team has trained a number of promising young drivers, paving their way to a successful motor racing career. Some of the famous drivers in the history of the Magdeburg-based racing outfit include: ex-Formula 1 driver Scott Speed, Williams F1 reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, Red Bull Racing test driver Sebastien Buemi and current Audi DTM driver Filipe Albuquerque.

Rumpfkeil: “In recent years, we have turned many aspiring drivers into young professionals and we want to continue this tradition with Lotus.” The team can offer youngsters the best chance of becoming professional motor racing drivers thanks to a well-organised infrastructure.
The team’s spacious factory, in excess of 1,000-square-metres, is close to the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. Apart from a damper testing rig, a carbon fibre manufacturing department and general fabricating shop, the Magdeburg team has had a dedicated driver simulator since early 2012.

Cooperation with Lotus

Lotus provides a large number of vehicles as part of the ADAC Masters Weekend. In addition to involvement in Formel ADAC, the team also runs four single-seater cars in the ATS Formel-3-Cup.

Prior to the 2012 season, the Magdeburg team agreed with Lotus, the renowned sports car brand, to jointly develop a support programme for young drivers. This cooperation is already proving fruitful with a Formel ADAC title win in their first year. Rumpfkeil: “This collaboration provides a unique opportunity for our drivers whilst at an early stage in their careers to cultivate a connection with a prestigious manufacturer and a Formula 1 team.” Ex-Formula 1 world champion Kimi Räikkönen sports Lotus team colours in Formula 1 this year, as does Romain Grosjean, who won last year’s GP2 championship.