Caterham (formerly Lotus)

Team Lotus

FIA Entry: Team Lotus
Car 20: Heikki Kovaleinen
Car 21: Jarno Trulli
Engine: Renault V8
Team Principal: Tony Fernandes
Technical Director: Mike Gascoyne
Race Engineer Car 20: Juan Pablo Ramirez
Race Engineer Car 21: Gianluca Pisanello

Stats as of end 2010

First Entered 2010
Races Entered 20
Race Wins 0
Pole Positions 0
Fastest Laps 0
Driver World Championships 0
Constructor World Championships 0

Team Lotus

Tony Fernandes' 1Malaysia F1 team lay claim to one of the most iconic names in F1, Team Lotus. Team Lotus, under the guidance of one of the greatest innovators in F1 Colin Chapman, was in F1 from 1958 to 1994. They took part in 491 Grands Prix, winning 73 races, 7 Constructors Titles, 6 Drivers Championships, 102 poles and 65 fastest laps. During this time some of the greatest F1 drivers drove for Team Lotus including Jim Clark, Stirling Moss, Ayrton Senna, Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jochen Rindt and Nigel Mansell.

2010 Team Lotus

With the support of the Malaysian government via Proton cars and two Malaysian Companies, Tune and Naza Groups, Tony Fernandes entered F1 under the Team Lotus name. Using Cosworth engines and Xtrac gearboxes Lotus signed up experienced drivers for their first season in F1 with Heikki Kovaleinen and Jarno Trulli.

The cars proved reasonably reliable although not quick enough to threaten the mid-field teams. Kovaleinen managed Lotus’ best finish with a 12th place in Japan and the team, based on count back of non-points scoring finishes, were placed 10th in the Constructors Championship – the best of the new teams for 2010.

2011

Lotus announced during 2010 that they would switch to Renault engines for 2011 along with Red Bull gearbox and hydraulic technology. The same driver line up is retained and they will use the T128 chassis.

Whether the team continue to use the Lotus name will be decided in the British High Court. Proton, owners of the Group Lotus name, have moved their allegiance to the former Renault team although ownership of the Team Lotus name is in dispute as this was owned by David Hunt, brother of 1976 World Champion James and sold to Fernandes.

 

[Titch]

Well Caterham are formally in administration now. So I guess that's them gone.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Didn't that happen to Renault before Genii came to the rescue, along with the Lotus re-brand? I may be wrong. Can't see anyone rescuing Caterham though. Their stock on the grid is a lot lower.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Titch, reading Joe Saward's blog on the subject it's not quite as simple as all of that. Quite recently the company that owns Caterham's license to race in F1 (1Malaysia) created a new company owned by the new team principle and transferred the majority of the teams assesst from Caterham Sport Ltd into this new company. The fact that Caterham Sport Ltd has now gone into administration may not ultimately ammount to a hill of beans. The big question is who owns what. Until that is resolved and providing the main company, 1Malaysia, don't go into administration, it's buisness as usual. It's a real mess though.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

They do crucially still have an entry in F1 though and that's always going to be worth quite a bit to the right company. I recall reading yesterday the Chinese wanting to get into F1 for instance. While Caterham's technology isn't up there with the best, I can imagine finding a buyer may not be difficult.

 

[Titch]

cider_and_toast well that's gobsmacking, but typical of F1. Crooked, but business as usual.

 

[Greenlantern101]

Statement from Caterham. Oh dear. Fans and excrement.

"On 29 June 2014, Caterham Enterprises Ltd, Caterham (UK) Ltd and Sheikh Mohamed Nasarudin (Seller) and their shareholders Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Bin Meranun entered into a Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with Engavest SA (Buyer) with regards to 1Malaysia Racing Team Sdn Bhd/Caterham F1 Team," read a statement released by the team.

"Since the date of the Agreement, the Seller has refused to comply with its legal obligations to transfer their shares to the Buyer. The Buyer has been left in the invidious position of funding the team without having legal title to the team it had bought.

"This is in total contradiction to the Seller’s press release of 3 October 2014 which stated that Mr Fernandes and his Caterham Group had no longer any connection with the Caterham F1 Team.

The administrators of Caterham Sports Limited have been appointed on behalf of Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Berhad (Exim), a creditor of Mr Fernandes and the Caterham Group. The Buyer has no connection with Exim. Caterham Sports Ltd was a supplier company to the Caterham F1 Team. Very regrettably, the administrators' appointment has had devastating effects on the F1 Team's activities.

"Since their appointment, the administrators have released various press statements which have been severely detrimental to the management of the Caterham F1 team.

"After three months of operating the Caterham F1 Team in good faith, the Buyer is now forced to explore all its options including the withdrawal of its management team. Lawyers have been instructed by the Buyer to bring all necessary claims against all parties, including Mr Fernandes who, as an owner, will run the F1 operation."

 

[RasputinLives]

So sounds like maybe Fernades has some sort of dodgy dealing going on. Maybe he'll buy it back in a pre-pack for peanuts. Maybe its all been about wiping out the debt.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

It's not looking good.
http://m.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116456

 

[cider_and_toast]

Well done Danny Beher and Tony Fernandes, between the two of you, you have managed to totally fuck up the reputations of the Lotus car company, Team Lotus, Caterham and a lot of hard working motorsport people. Thankyou for your involvement in F1.

 

[Titch]

What a mess. I could say some very inflammatory things right now, but as I don't wish to go to jail, I'd better not.

 

[Greenlantern101]

The factory is now closed with the cars locked inside. This is now looking like its all over.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/...rtsNews&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

I wonder if someone else will pop up on the scene at the last minute to save the day (and buy an F1 entry possibly cheaply)?

 

[gethinceri]

Also on the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-29738116

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Ok now they are officially screwed, Bernie is getting involved.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/29737238

 

[cider_and_toast]

Well it's a goodnight from me and it's a goodnight from him.

 

[ATL11]

Sad indictment of F1 when you see all the money swishing around in the sport! But it does just go to show how the other half live & overall how they all can be perceived:

Mercedes - Happy - Just won the Contructors, both drivers fighting for F1 crown.
Red Bull - Glum but upbeat - 4 year run comes to an end & lost Seb, but 2015 drivers look good.
Ferrari - Turmoil - Staffing changes are forcing staff out, driver strategy for 2015 still not resolved.
McLaren - Barbaric Panic - Ron is scything through staff until he gets what he wants, is Alonso the answer?
Caterham - Closed - Previous dodgy engineering is nothing to the convoluted ownership that could reduce the USA Grid.
Force India - Jekyll & Hyde - Not sure what to think for Vijay, are they happy with being a mid table F1 team?
Lotus - Dear God - Expected to be 1st to go, will they too pull the plug in November, knowing their luck they'll get electrocuted.
Marussia - Dejected - What could have been team improving more in 2015, where too next, back to GP2 instead?
Sauber - Help Needed - What went wrong, Peter's no where to be seen and Monisha hasn't smiled in Months.
Toro Rosso - Happier - Results are improving, but then again they are a sister team, do they ever have to worry about funds?
Williams - Next Steps - Could 2015 see Williams push to the next step, is this where Alonso's going instead e.g. 'The Push'.

As you can see not many positive teams out there. Well that's my view.

 

[siffert_fan]

With Bernie constantly proclaiming that his preference is for 7-8 3-car teams rather than what exists now, I don't know how much residual value Caterham's F1 franchise license has.

 

[cider_and_toast]

And yet in this article he makes himself sound like Saint Bernard coming to the rescue. The comments he makes are totally at odds with reported comments from Bernie of yester-year with his declared preference for fewer teams and his indifference to those who were in financial trouble.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/29737238

 

[cider_and_toast]

Missing a race will trigger all sorts of financial penalities so if dear old Bernie is genuine about lending a hand we'll see how FOM reacts if Caterham can't make it out to Texas.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/29745360

 

[siffert_fan]

He really is a weasel.