Lotus appoints Gastaldi as Deputy Team Principal
Lotus F1 Team today announced the appointment of Federico Gastaldi as the new Deputy Team Principal. Promoted from within the team, Gastaldi has worked for Lotus F1 Team since 2010 as Director of Business Development as the most recent role in a long relationship with Enstone.
Before that, Gastaldi worked in many roles in the motorsport arena, from an introduction as a friend and associate of the Benetton family to promoting the Argentinean Grand Prix, to working with drivers to working with Bernie on different projects.
The Argentinian starts his new position immediately at this weekend’s opening Grand Prix of the 2014 F1 season in Melbourne.
Gerard Lopez, Co-Chairman & Team Principal: “We are pleased to announce our new Deputy Team Principal. Federico Gastaldi has been a valued friend of the Genii and Enstone families for quite some time. His Enstone history dates back to the Benetton days. He also works with Genii on a number of projects in South America. For Lotus F1 Team, Federico was instrumental in nurturing our relationship with PDVSA and he continues to be a vital link for us with Venezuela. In the paddock, Federico’s contact base is exceptional. As a figurehead, no-one better embodies the Lotus F1 Team spirit. His understanding of the sport as a whole is impressive. Federico will work closely with myself and the rest of the Genii and Enstone family and we’re confident of a very positive future for all.”
Federico Gastaldi, Depute Team Principal: "It’s a great honour and I’m looking forward to it. I have a long history with Enstone with my previous role of Director of Business Development and then before that in the Benetton days. The team is an exceptional place to be and the depth of talent is amazing. My approach will be to ensure we get the most out of every aspect of Enstone and harness every talent housed there.
"Our main challenge now is the need to ensure rapid progress with our car for this season. It’s no secret that pre-season preparations have not been as smooth as we’d like but we have confidence that we can turn this situation around very quickly. We need to work as closely as possible with Renault to fulfil our potential. We know it is a big challenge, especially because there is so much technology that is new to everyone, but we know the team can deliver good cars and we will do this in 2014 with Renault."
