F1: Andretti To Open COTA In 2010 Renault

Formula 1

F1: Andretti To Open COTA In 2010 Renault

Mario Andretti will play a special role in the opening ceremony at Circuit of The Americas...

Adam Cooper | http://www.speedtv.com | Posted October 18, 2012 Austin, TX

Motorsports legend Mario Andretti is an official Circuit ambassador to Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. (Photo: COTA)

Mario Andretti will drive the Lotus team’s 2010 Renault R30 at the opening ceremony at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday.

Lotus says that Andretti will “formally cut the ribbon to open the track by driving the opening laps of the circuit, in what will be his first time behind the wheel of a contemporary Formula One car since he last competed in the sport in 1982.”

The car will also be driven by the team’s regular third driver, Jerome D’Ambrosio, and by actor and sportscar racer Patrick Dempsey.

The R30, originally raced by Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov, is used by the team for demo runs.

Adam Cooper notched up his 27th season as a racing journalist in 2011. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Follow him on Twitter.