Team Lotus will use drivers racing for their AirAsia GP2 team for Formula One test and reserve roles next year.
Fairuz Fauzy, the Malaysian driver, carried out those duties this season for the F1 team, owned by Tony Fernandes, the entrepreneur and boss of Malaysia-based AirAsia, but the 28-year-old has since been released.
"The GP2 drivers will be test and reserve drivers," a spokesman for Lotus said yesterday.
"There will be two guys who will be given that opportunity to bridge the gap [between GP2 and Formula One]."
Team Lotus competed as Lotus Racing this season and finished as the best of the new entrants despite failing to score a point.
They are hoping to close the gap with the more established teams and, while their race drivers, Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen, are well rewarded, spending money on improving their car's performance has been made a priority.
Next year they will be competing against Lotus Renault GP, the Renault F1 team who have signed a title sponsorship deal with Lotus Group that will eventually see the Malaysian-owned sportscar maker take a significant stake in the team.
Both the rival Lotus teams will also compete in the GP2 support series with their own teams, Fernandes entering with the new Team AirAsia.
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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
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Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
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Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
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