Lotus Team Principal Tony Fernandes has revealed that he will not continue to hold the role once the 2010 season gets underway. The owner of Tune Group, the name behind AirAsia and chief backing of the Norfolk-based Formula One squad, is also seeking Petronas sponsorship ahead of next year.

The homecoming of the Lotus name to Formula One marks the first time the legendary label will be involved in the sport since 1994, after Malaysian government-backed Proton granted use of the name it owns. Fernandes, however, admits that he will be handing over his role in the team in the early stages of the season.

“Team Principal is not something that is going to be permanent,” he told Reuters. “I am going to get it to a stage and then someone can do it full-time, properly. My job is AirAsia and I just want to make sure that we have the right direction, the right imaging and the right future – the right strategic plan and marketing.”

He continued to explain that he expects a replacement for Team Principal to be drafted in after the second race of the year, in Australia. “I think up to about Melbourne, maybe,” he explained. “Maybe I’ll enjoy being the Team Principal for a couple of races and I think then we’d move it on to someone else.

“I would say probably we would buy in experience; I think it would be good that the Team Principal is Malaysian but it might be a tall order to be a Team Principal straight away.”