Lotus F1 Team to announce driver line-up on Monday

Lotus Formula 1 team principal Tony Fernandes announced this evening that he will name his drivers for the 2010 season on Monday (14th).

Posting on his Twitter feed during this evening’s FIA Awards ceremony, Fernandes watched Jenson Button crowned officially as Formula 1 World Champion and dreamed of it “one day” being a Lotus Team driver.

Jacques Villeneuve was thought to be a contender for one of the seats after his recent visit to the Lotus factory in Norfolk, but Fernandes has since confirmed that the Italian Jarno Trulli and Malaysia’s Fairuz Fauzy were on the list but that Canadian former world champion was not.

Trulli is currently without a drive after Toyota announced they were withdrawing from the sport in November and has worked with Mike Gascoyne, Lotus’ Technical Director, most recently when they were both at Toyota.

Fernandes has set a target for next season to beat fellow newcomer, Virgin Racing, which is backed by entrepreneur Richard Branson. “I said that number one we have to be ahead of Branson, otherwise I will retire and kill myself,” said Fernandes .