Renault to team up with Lotus not just Engine

[npope]

This could be good for Lotus but where does RK go?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/87936

[Streps]

Sound's like Lotus cars didn't want lotus racing using the team lotus name.
so they enter into F1 themselves to be sure
Forcing the current formula one team to re brand
Really confusing.

Edited by Streps on Friday 5th November 16:48

[Some Gump]

I can see why they want to do it, but this is good PR how?

Don't modern Lotii use Toyota engines anyway? And Toyota F1 was for sale last year. Great opportunism all round there =)

[anonymous-user]

Hang on, so Renault F1 team and the current Lotus Racing become just one team?

ETA: Oh I think I get it now. Renault F1 and Lotus Cars make a team, but there would still be Lotus Racing using Renault engines and RB gearboxes.

According to the BBC website Renault announced the deal as engine supplier with '1Malaysia Racing Team'. There'll probably be a name change on the cards then if this Renault/Lotus Cars merger goes ahead.

What a strange turn of events if the actual team that gets the hallowed 'Team Lotus Renault' name is not the Lotus team we had this year.

Edited by MSTRBKR on Friday 5th November 18:53

[Forbes82]

Confusing and alienating to the fans, most lotus fans had just about accepted the new lotus and all the tie ins with Classic Team Lotus etc had been done well, they treated the name with respect. Although the new lotus has more factory tie ins, i dont think it will have the passion that the Fernandes and Gascoyne team has. Lotus Racing is all based in Norfolk, surely a buy in with them would have been better than the Renault buy in?

Whatever the names, i will be supporting the Fernandes/Gascoyne entry next year, they have really gone a step beyond the rest in the way they interact with fans.

[mchammer89]

I love the fact that we're potentially going to have two Lotus/Renault teams.

[Mazda Baiter]

MSTRBKR said:

What a strange turn of events if the actual team that gets the hallowed 'Team Lotus Renault' name is not the Lotus team we had this year.

They are on about not even using "Team Lotus". It could just be Lotus Renault. I don't think it will happen though. Lotus cars would have to veer away from Toyota.

This situation really needs to be reined in by the Malaysian government as they effectively own both parties. It's turning into a joke.

[Aydogflipper]

Really strange turn of events.

Will be quite strange thing if it happens.

[luke111s]

I was really pleased to see Lotus back in F1, but this squabble/power struggle is souring it.

Lotus (Cars) should have blocked the use of Lotus Racing for 2010 season if it wished to revive the team itself, or let Fernandes and Gascoyne get on with what looks like a very promising new start for "Team Lotus".

I will be quite disappointed now if "Team Lotus" does not make it to the grid next year with that name.

[StevenJJ]

How long was the 'Lotus Racing' license agreement originally supposed to last? What was Lotus Cars originally planning to do for the 2011 F1 season had Lotus Racing not acquired Team Lotus (incurring the Wrath of Bahar) and carried on in 2011 as Lotus Racing as per the original license agreement? Was it still going to come in with some kind of 'Lotus' branding/product? Of course not. This is getting even more ttty. Unless of course it was only ever a one-year license deal in which case this post is all bks.

[NHK244V]

Not hard is it
Team Lotus renault V's Renault lotus. lets face it it would take a crap commentator of epic proportions to get that confused, oh wait a min,,,, bks bad idea really

[Rude-boy]

StevenJJ said:

How long was the 'Lotus Racing' license agreement originally supposed to last? What was Lotus Cars originally planning to do for the 2011 F1 season had Lotus Racing not acquired Team Lotus (incurring the Wrath of Bahar) and carried on in 2011 as Lotus Racing as per the original license agreement? Was it still going to come in with some kind of 'Lotus' branding/product? Of course not. This is getting even more ttty. Unless of course it was only ever a one-year license deal in which case this post is all bks.

I am fairly sure it was a one year deal. Yet at the time that the deal was made there was little or no talk heard outside the 'cars' factory about F1.

I think a very canny games has been played here with TF being the victim to some degree. For one year a team with the Lotus name as been operating in F1 and the public perception, which was the key factor, has been very good as has the comparative performance of the cars with the other new teams. Having had the benefit of someone else spending their money to promote your car company on a gamble which could have gone either way has paid off for 'cars' to a massive degree. Now all they need to do is to remove 'racing' from the picture. That was easy until TF quietly went about buying 'Team'.