Daniel Abt is the first of the trio the black and gold team has made official. The 19 year old German driver got to know the GP3 Series and Lotus during the interseason tests at Valencia and Jerez de la Frontera, where he had the best time of the last two days.

Daniel Abt dominated the ADAC Formel Masters 2009 (8 wins) and finished 2010 in 2nd place in German Formula 3 (2 wins). He successfully continued his apprenticeship in single-seaters in 2011 by securing three podiums in the F3 Euro Series and adapted to Lotus and the GP3 Series efficiently and quickly during the winter tests, where he demonstrated remarkable technical finesse and personal commitment.

Daniel Abt:
“I am very happy for the chance to continue my career in the GP3 Series, which was my favorite solution. Making this step with the Lotus GP team is like a little dream because everyone knows how professional and successful this squad is. I already felt at home during the first tests. Big thanks to my partners and sponsors who give me the chance to make this huge step. Now I'm looking forward to a lot of new challenges: a new car, a new team and some new race tracks. The tests were good. But more important than the times on the screen was: It was pure fun to drive the car and work with the team. I will now start to prepare as hard as possible for the next tests and the start of the season to pay back for the trust in me.”

Frederic Vasseur:
“Along with sporting and technical performance, the human aspect is an essential factor for success in an extremely competitive championship where there is no room for error at any level whatsoever. Daniel combines three skills. He attracted Lotus GP with his speed, his technical baggage, and his human qualities. We have every confidence in him to help us defend our two titles.”

After an initial fruitful collaborative year rewarded with a 1-2 Bottas/Calado finish in the GP3 Series and several wins and a 3rd place finish in the GP2 Series thanks to Jules Bianchi and Esteban Gutierrez, the racing team and its partner, Group Lotus, have decided to put it into high gear and create a new dynamic that both partners will benefit from.

For Group Lotus, this new step will embody its heavy involvement in both feeder series to auto racing’s highest level, Formula 1. Since their creation in 2005, the GP2 series have often been the forerunners of a certain idea of the sport and using technologies which are both assurances of quality in the sport and a potential bridge to the automotive industry. The racing team’s structure will be reinforced by this multiple collaboration which will work at several levels and in both directions.

 Claudio Berro:

“The relationship between Group Lotus and ART continues to intensify and both parties will benefit from sharing technological developments and engineering support. The partnership goes far beyond an agreement on the team name - this is just the tip of the iceberg. The collaboration between ART and Group Lotus is deeply rooted in the culture and daily life of both entities. For example, Lotus’ road cars, like the Elise and the Evora will benefit directly from the impacts of developments made by the team on the circuit as well as in the factory. The current and future cars will benefit from developments in performance, endurance and stability at high speed and in return, the racing team can draw its inspiration from world-renowned engineering, since Lotus Engineering's engineers may be assigned to Lotus in the GP2 and GP3 Series.”

Frédéric Vasseur:

 “I am proud and happy to have the chance to give this new boost to the venture and to have the confidence of as prestigious an auto maker as Group Lotus, whose heritage in the sporting world is known worldwide. I am very happy about the sporting and technical prospects this partnership offers our team. It will enable both entities to capitalize on each others' expertise in order to rise to big challenges in the coming years.”