Berro named Lotus motorsport director

Berro, who has previously held posts at Ferrari, Maserati, Fiat and Abarth before a stint heading up the Speedcar Race Series, will join the company on November 2.

Although he will report directly to Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar, it is likely that Berro will have some involvement in the new F1 team that is currently preparing for a return to grand prix racing at the start of next year.

Speaking about his new role, Berro said: "Lotus has a peerless motorsport heritage, not just in Formula 1, but we have also won in sportscar racing, saloon car racing, world rally championships, Le Mans and the Indy 500.

"There is no other car company in the world which can lay claim to so many accolades and championships in such a wide variety of motorsport fields, and I am looking forward to re-introducing Lotus to high level motorsport to not only compete and win but also to demonstrate the shared technology between Lotus sportscars and future racing cars."

Bahar added: "I am delighted that Claudio is joining us as Director of Motorsport. He has a proven track record of not only setting up and managing the motorsport's divisions within sportscar brands but also winning championships in GT racing and rallying. His skills will be very valuable as we look to return Lotus to high level motorsport around the world."

Lotus was granted the 13th slot on the F1 grid at the end of last month, with its Malaysian-funded efforts having impressed the FIA. Its first wind tunnel model has already been revealed, with the technical team being headed up by Mike Gascoyne.