MADRID (AP) _ Jarno Trulli will drive for Formula One team Lotus from
2010.
A person familiar with Trulli's new deal told The Associated Press that
the 35-year-old Italian driver has agreed to a three-year contract with an
option to leave at the end of each season.
The person requested anonymity because the hiring will not be announced
until Monday at a news conference.
Trulli did not immediately respond to an e-mail request for comment. He
was left without a team following Toyota's exit from the sport last month as
it cuts costs and focuses on its core business.
The former Jordan and Renault driver has competed in 216 races since his
debut for Minardi in 1997. His lone victory came at the Canadian Grand Prix
in 2004.
Lotus will return to F1 in 2010 under Malaysian backing after last racing
in 1994.
Trulli finished on the podium three times last season, scoring 32.5 points
to finish eighth in the drivers' championship. He spent just over four
seasons with Toyota.
Lotus boss Tony Fernandes, the airline mogul backing the team, said
earlier Saturday that his two drivers will be introduced Monday.
Lotus will be one of five new teams in 2010. The others are USF1, Campos,
Sauber and Manor, which will compete as Virgin Racing.

AP is normally very reliable by the way.

Lotus got lucky there, I think.

I think Trulli is the lucky one.

Gets to extend his career by three years at a time when his options were running out.

3 years? I think that might be a mistake by Lotus, I don't think Trulli will be as good in 3 years time.

If the options to leave are all on Jarno's side, I suppose he did get a little lucky, but for the immediate future I think Toyota's problems have given Lotus (and Manor) a talented driver who will be especially valuable to a new team.

I reckon Heidfeld would have been a better bet.

But I guess Quick Nick is hanging out for Brawn or Sauber.

At least the Trulli train next season will only be holding up the USF1's and the Campos's

True!

AP misidentified Trulli's lone win. It was Monaco 2004 not Canada. Duh!

A mod-ding ghost has added a question mark to my thread title.

I'd be willing to bet my first born that AP's story is accurate.

True!

Hadn't noticed that.

It's not official yet, that's why. When it's totally confirmed I'll restore the title to the question-mark-less form.

A stickler for accuracy!

Lotus could do *a lot* worse than Jarno. I will be glad to see them on the grid next year.

+ over ambitious drivers at usf1 and campos -> expecting some crashes ;)

Yes because the Candian Grand Prix is held in Monte Carlo

Associated Press Next they will refer to 5 times championship winner in the Ferrari, Ralf Schumacher

Meh! What's the point

Jarno might not make headlines these days for being the greatest driver on the grid or anything, but he's still quick, experienced, and overall a very nice guy to have in the sport.

by spining out he can make another liegate

Has he ever made the headlines - not counting being a dickhead at Brazil? He needs to retire, like 3 years ago.

Makes sense for Faux-tus, on the basis that they get an experienced driver to help with development, race strategy, act as a baseline and whatever. Plus if there is a hotshoe planned for the second seat we can see whether they are genuinely hot, or perhaps more a glacial slipper.

Just to clarify, AP is an agency, a cooperative if you like, sounds like you are classing it as a single source, it's not.

How will Jarno fair againts Heikki? They both are better at quali than in race, so far at least. Both also have 1 GP win

The bigger question is, how will he fare against the mighty SATO?

Heikki and Sato?

Trulli has fared well against any teammate he's ever been up against.

While I may not be one to say he 'beat' Alonso in 2004, I will say he was definitely right there up with him.

Deny his talent if you will, but I think most fans and teams realize he's good.

I hope they choose Sato for the other seat. Kovalainen is the most boring and consistently slow drivers F1 has seen for a long time, I don't see that there's any merit in choosing him unless a team needs experience, and Lotus don't if they have Trulli. Sato is at least more exciting and it would probably make sense to have an Asian driver in this team, although there is of course Kobayashi who's still available as far as we know...

Great news for both the team and for Jarno. Still one of the most underrated drivers on the grid IMO and I'm sure championship material in the right car, like Button was this year.

I sort of agree, but a three year contract is very surprising considering his age and the fact he's been around since 1997.

Wrong.

Agencies do a lot of their own reporting.

From the first line:

"A person familiar with Trulli's new deal told The Associated Press

Well if the deal is done is perfect for both. Trulli gets a chance to continue driving and Lotus gets an experience driver that they definitely need since they are a new team and all.

Fans are not to judge who is a driver and who isn´t. They can present their thoughts and opinions but that´s about it.
Me myself ain´t JT fan not at all but..

..hanging there in grid for years? He must be a driver, I suppose that people really INSIDE the sircus must know better than all of us here in forums..?

http://www.ts.fi/f1/uutiset/95760.html

So Heikki it is with Jarno! Like I already mentioned, will be interesting pairing.

And BTW, both get payed by the team.

Very disappointed that Heikki is getting another year. The guy has done nothing to suggest he's anything remotely special.

Like I´ve said in various threads; the people IN the business must know a little extra compared to us. Heikki must be worth of something if he drives. He really don´t carry big bucks with him.

And for the records, I´m not into Heikki.

Neither has Sato, or Trulli, or a lot of other drivers. But they are still there. Heikki beat Fisi in his rookie year at Renault and his '08 season at McLaren was blighted by bad luck and a couple of retirements from reliability. He was poor in 2009 but I think he deserves a chance in another environment.

Don't forget, the guy in your avatar was reborn after he left Williams...

Malaysia spent $15m p/a on sponsoring Minardi, and yet all the "go-fast" bits like power steering went only to Webber and Alonso and not Yoong!

Funding a whole team is not so much more cash, with some Air Asia money here, some FOM incentives there, and viola a budget.

Congratulations to Lotus, it's not bad having two midfield drivers signed up prior to turning a wheel. I think Trulli and Kovalainen will be on the same relative pace, and they'll squabble with Glock and the Toro Rosso boys for Q2 slots.