Former Lotus team boss Peter Warr dies

Suzuka: Formula One has paid tribute to former Lotus team boss Peter Warr after his death from a heart attack at the age of 72.

The sport`s commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who turns 80 this month, said in a message on the official Formula One website (www.formula1.com) that he had lost a good friend."When Peter was in Formula One he helped me to build it to what it is today," he added. Warr, who died at home in France on Monday, was Lotus team manager under founder Colin Chapman and went on to run the team for seven years after the Briton`s death in 1982. He attended this year`s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix to witness the Lotus name return to the sport with Malaysian entrepreneur Tony Fernandes."Peter was a great supporter of our racing aspirations and it was fantastic to meet someone with such knowledge, spirit and passion for Lotus and for our sport," Fernandes said in a statement. Bureau Report