I think brogan just exploded after reading that 
Lotus Renault
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Wow!
Just read this statement from David Hunt, who sold the 'Team Lotus' rights to Tony Fernandez.
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_ ... t_id=42481
Sounds like he's up for a fight; Bring it On!
Just read this statement from David Hunt, who sold the 'Team Lotus' rights to Tony Fernandez.
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_ ... t_id=42481
Sounds like he's up for a fight; Bring it On!
There are new reports that the current lotus team will be painted black and gold next season. I can.t post a link as i'm using my phone.
Here it is F1, from the Horses mouth so to speak:
http://www.lotusracing.my/news/black-go ... acing.aspx
Any budding graphic designers among us?
Let's hope they win their naming rights battle.
http://www.lotusracing.my/news/black-go ... acing.aspx
Any budding graphic designers among us?
Let's hope they win their naming rights battle.
So let me get this straight, team lotus raed in the last entury, but proton under the guise of gruop lotus are currently in f1. And as part of a deal with renault, gruop lotus will know work with renault on thier car, and gruop lotus will be more under he control of the malaysian government who alreeady have a stake. Forming (Group) Lotus-Renault, and 1Malaysia Team-Reanult. Is this correct? 
As I see it, Fernandes' team (I don't think they can continue to call themselves 'Lotus Racing' after the end of this season, as they have not renewed the licence under which they have been operating) are no longer connected with Proton or Group Lotus (owned by Proton).
So, either:
They will win their legal battle to enable them to re-name as 'Team Lotus' for 2011, coming back in a blaze of glory in the new black and gold livery,
or:
They will lose and have to call themselves 1Malaysia F1 Team, or something else.
Meanwhile, Proton may or may not come to a separate agreement to sponsor the current Renault team, who might then be called something like 'Lotus-Renault'. So if Fernandes wins the legal fight we could have Team Lotus (with Renault engines) and Lotus-Renault (with renault engines) competing in F1 against each other.
So, either:
They will win their legal battle to enable them to re-name as 'Team Lotus' for 2011, coming back in a blaze of glory in the new black and gold livery,
or:
They will lose and have to call themselves 1Malaysia F1 Team, or something else.
Meanwhile, Proton may or may not come to a separate agreement to sponsor the current Renault team, who might then be called something like 'Lotus-Renault'. So if Fernandes wins the legal fight we could have Team Lotus (with Renault engines) and Lotus-Renault (with renault engines) competing in F1 against each other.
Its all very confusing.
David Hunt the former owner of the Team Lotus name has released this statement today:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/11112010/ ... laims.html
This does clarify the situation. It is quite lengthy but worth reading.
Proton bought Group Lotus thinking they were buying the whole package but Team Lotus - the F1 part of Group Lotus - had already been sold to David Hunt and his partners.
Within Group Lotus there was a company called Lotus Racing, this is the name that Proton allowed Fernandes and the 1Malaysia team to race under in 2010.
Proton have recalled the use of the Lotus Racing name but Fernandes has now recieved the rights for the Team Lotus name from David Hunt.
Proton are petitioning against Tony Fernandes about the use of the Lotus brand. Something that David Hunt says has no legal standing as the 2011 1Malaysia Lotus will be Team Lotus which is a seperate entity to Group Lotus and Lotus Racing.
For next year there is a high chance that we'll have Group Lotus Renault and Team Lotus Renault on the grid. Unless Petrov is kept at Renault keeping the Lada and other Russian sponsors on the car.
David Hunt the former owner of the Team Lotus name has released this statement today:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/11112010/ ... laims.html
This does clarify the situation. It is quite lengthy but worth reading.
Proton bought Group Lotus thinking they were buying the whole package but Team Lotus - the F1 part of Group Lotus - had already been sold to David Hunt and his partners.
Within Group Lotus there was a company called Lotus Racing, this is the name that Proton allowed Fernandes and the 1Malaysia team to race under in 2010.
Proton have recalled the use of the Lotus Racing name but Fernandes has now recieved the rights for the Team Lotus name from David Hunt.
Proton are petitioning against Tony Fernandes about the use of the Lotus brand. Something that David Hunt says has no legal standing as the 2011 1Malaysia Lotus will be Team Lotus which is a seperate entity to Group Lotus and Lotus Racing.
For next year there is a high chance that we'll have Group Lotus Renault and Team Lotus Renault on the grid. Unless Petrov is kept at Renault keeping the Lada and other Russian sponsors on the car.
http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/turning-the-lotus-renault-gp-story-on-its-head/
Interesting. A potential buy out from Genii capital.
Interesting. A potential buy out from Genii capital.
Well that's as clear as mud then.
I'm so confused about that team right now....who are they? who's thier sponsors? Who are their drivers going to be?
My brain hurts
My brain hurts
1. Renault sold the team to Genii
2. Genii wanted to sell the team to Proton-owned Lotus (the car company)
3. Proton-owned Lotus cannot buy the team while Dany Bahar is in charge because the other team principals would veto the chassis name change
4. Genii therefore are looking for alternative buyers, starting with the French Government.
5. The French Government are NOT KEEN.
6. A potential solution to all of this is for Genii to buy Proton-owned Lotus, displacing Dany Bahar, which ought to allow the chassis name change to go ahead unopposed.
7. One consequence of this would be for Tony Fernandes' Team Lotus to be renamed Team Caterham AirAsia.
2. Genii wanted to sell the team to Proton-owned Lotus (the car company)
3. Proton-owned Lotus cannot buy the team while Dany Bahar is in charge because the other team principals would veto the chassis name change
4. Genii therefore are looking for alternative buyers, starting with the French Government.
5. The French Government are NOT KEEN.
6. A potential solution to all of this is for Genii to buy Proton-owned Lotus, displacing Dany Bahar, which ought to allow the chassis name change to go ahead unopposed.
7. One consequence of this would be for Tony Fernandes' Team Lotus to be renamed Team Caterham AirAsia.
Nice summary.
According to the BBC/Autosport, that process has already started.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9603120.stm
I wonder if Tony has won or lost anything by going through this whole process. Seems to me like it was just a case of very expensive macho posturing. (probably not the right term of phrase, but you know what I mean)
Now given that Tony Fernandes owns the rights to the Team Lotus name after legitimately purchasing them from David Hunt, I would assume that some sort of transfer will have to take place between Genii and Team Lotus to ensure that there is no further legal challenge to the name. Failing that, Fernandes is going to end up hugely out of pocket by all this and I can't see what was in it for him in the first place?
Its been talked about for some time now that the plans that Bahar had for Group Lotus were far too ambitious and almost un-achievable and the sole reason that Proton gave it their backing is that it would have made Group Lotus a very attractive propostion to potential buyers.
The big problem here is not the F1 side but where will Group Lotus end up?
Its been talked about for some time now that the plans that Bahar had for Group Lotus were far too ambitious and almost un-achievable and the sole reason that Proton gave it their backing is that it would have made Group Lotus a very attractive propostion to potential buyers.
The big problem here is not the F1 side but where will Group Lotus end up?
