INDYCAR: Series, Lotus Confirm Official Split

An unfortunate chapter in the Indy car history book was closed on Friday when Lotus and IndyCar confirmed the marque's exit from the series.

Marshall Pruett | Posted December 07, 2012

The black and gold Lotus colors, along with its engines, will no longer be involved in the IZOD IndyCar Series. (Photo: Marshall Pruett)

An unfortunate chapter in the Indy car history book was closed on Friday when Lotus and IndyCar confirmed the marque's exit from the series.

An alarming number of lowlights and disappointments for Lotus-powered teams reflected poorly on the famed manufacturer throughout the 2012 season, and with the inability to properly fund the the 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 engine it commissioned from John Judd, Lotus began looking for an exit when the task of beating Chevy or Honda became insurmountable.

It took months of negotiating a settlement for the early termination of its multi-year engine supply contract with the series, and with that process completed and monies received, INDYCAR formalized the split.

"We appreciate the effort that Lotus made in helping return manufacturer competition to the IZOD IndyCar Series," said Brian Barnhart. "However, Lotus has made a business decision not to return in 2013 and asked for its release. We wish them well and would welcome their participation again in the future."

Aslam Farikullah, Lotus' COO, offered a number of platitudes with his official statement on the brand's departure from IndyCar.

"Lotus is grateful to INDYCAR for the opportunity to compete during the 2012 season and for the support provided throughout. The decision not to continue was not an easy one and Lotus does not discount the possibility to re-enter the series at some time in the future. For the time being, Lotus will focus on core business activities as a leading sports car manufacturer and world class engineering consultancy."

Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, and covers the IndyCar Series. Before joining SPEED, Pruett worked in open-wheel racing for 20 years as a mechanic and engineer. He also contributes to RACER, Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him @MarshallPruett.