So here it is merry Christmas, everybody is having fun besides Team Lotus in December 1991! Look to the future now, it’s only just begun. Well, it is 1990, though 1991 rhymes better. Some of you might get wrapped up if not correcting directly after it. Anyway, it’s the 8th of December 1990. Probably a dark, cold and snowy day in Helsinki when Santa arrives by plane in the city. While taking a taxi or driving his rental-car to some exhibition hall where the team waits patiently on their gift Santa will give. First it was the arrival of Mika Häkkinen who signed a two-year deal with the team. The second gift was the new challenger for 1991 the Lotus 103. However, Santa would fool the team and take the present back.
That Mika was announced as one of Team Lotus their drivers in 1991 was a surprise for himself as well. Thanks to the efforts of Keke Rosberg the Finnish driver would make his debut with Team Lotus. A team that went in a steep downfall since Colin Chapman passed away. Sure, they still had some good seasons with Ayrton Senna as their driver. However, it were not they heydays with Andretti and Jim Clark. With Mika, they had the British Formula 3 Champion of 1990 in their team. A future Champion himself believe me!
For 1990, the team came with the Lotus 102 on the grid, a sleek and nice looking car powered by the thirsty and unreliable Lamborghini V12 engine. The team managed to score just three points during the season. During the season rumours started to appear that, the team could disappear from the grid due to the lack of proper funding and what not. While Mika was announced the announcement came as well that a consortium led by Peter Collins, Peter Wright and Horst Schubel would take over the running of the racing team. With the Chapman family taking a few steps back.
A new “management”, a new start for Team Lotus you would say. With signing Mika, the team also showed the Wind Tunnel model of the Lotus 103, which we now know is unraced. Mika together with Santa unveiled the challenger. Which would be powered with the reliable Judd V8 engine. The car being penned by Frank Coppuck.
However, it seems that Santa was not that kindly for the team, as they would never race with the 103. The struggle for enough funding seemed to be the real gift they got for Christmas. Instead, the 102 got updated to the 102B and the team would score again three points! Some say that the Lotus 103 is still used on the North Pole!
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
