Friday 4th November 2011

Team Lotus And Renault F1 Renamed

Lotus becomes Caterham and Renault becomes Lotus for 2012

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Team Lotus and Lotus Renault GP (that's Renault to thee and me) have finally settled their long-running dispute over the use of the Lotus name after F1 bosses agreed that Renault could change the name of its cars to Lotus for 2012.

Team Lotus, meanwhile, will run Caterhams next year (after team owner Tony Fernandes bought out the British sports car company earlier this year) and will change their official name to reflect that.

Oh, and the Virgin team will now officially run Marussia chassis. But you probably don't really care all that much about that...

So remember: Team Lotus, nee Lotus Racing, is now Caterham. And Renault, nee Benetton (or possibly even Toleman), and also called Lotus Renault GP, is now Lotus. Clear? Good...

And whatever the names of the cars lining up on the grid in 2012, at least we won't have two entirely separate teams with Lotus badges and Renault engines...

 

[Ekona]

Tony Fernandes' team will always get my backing, and the other lot will always be Renault to me.

Caterham in F1 does still seem a bit weird, mind.

[Mr Noble]

Thank God for that!!

[AllNines]

Ekona said:

Tony Fernandes' team will always get my backing, and the other lot will always be Toleman to me.

Caterham in F1 does still seem a bit weird, mind.

EFA?

Hoorah, by the way!

[patmahe]

Now they should swap colour schemes, just to keep the confusion going Catheram (Lotus) team my favourite of the two I think Renault (Lotus) did themselves no favours with this pathetic posturing excercise.

[Mermaid]

patmahe said:

...I think Renault (Lotus) did themselves no favours with this pathetic posturing excercise.

They won the argument , but they lost people's affection IMO.

[FWDRacer]

Nobody gives a rats ass unless they are competing at the front. That is all...

[benim83n]

Caterham in f1? interesting. Thats like an S2000 in GT3 or a Toyota IQ in BTCC

[lord summerisle]

Glad i got my Team Lotus cap already

[ewenm]

Caterham in F1 - brilliant!

[paulrockliffe]

ewenm said:

Caterham in F1 - brilliant!

Awesome, though it's not a very good fit is it! I mean, the most aero-dependent race series for the company who's cars have aero dating back to the 60s(?)!

[pSynrg]

ewenm said:

Caterham in F1 - brilliant!

This! Come on guys - think of what this actually means. Caterham, tiny small volume maker of fine Lotus Seven copies. Quintessentially British is in F1 as a Lotus shoe-in. Most punters are totally clueless as to the goings on behind the scenes of F1. Lotus/Renault/Caterham mean Esprit/Elise, Clio/Megane, Cater-what?

It's madness but equally brilliant!

[Mermaid]

This was sort of mentioned on this thread

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

[urquattro]

paulrockliffe said:

ewenm said:

Caterham in F1 - brilliant!

Awesome, though it's not a very good fit is it! I mean, the most aero-dependent race series for the company who's cars have aero dating back to the 60s(?)!

Agree, just deserves for the Caterham name and number of cars out there.
All Caterham cars should have new paint scheme, suitable F 1 decals etc and used stock marked up by 15% at least due to F1 involvement and future successes !!!
All stems from a Lotus background, albeit a trendsetting 7 ala Chapman.

[Eric Mc]

Ekona said:

Tony Fernandes' team will always get my backing, and the other lot will always be Renault to me.

Caterham in F1 does still seem a bit weird, mind.

Agreed - and I own a Caterham.

Still, it won't be the first time a Caterham was in an F1 grand prix (OK - it wasa Lotus 7 that was entered in the non-championship 1962 Rand GP).

[Eric Mc]

paulrockliffe said:

ewenm said:

Caterham in F1 - brilliant!

Awesome, though it's not a very good fit is it! I mean, the most aero-dependent race series for the company who's cars have aero dating back to the 60s(?)!

1957 really.

[Crafty_]

I think Fernandes is an interesting guy and I've got more time for him than the rest of the "newcomers".

Aren't they moving to Milton Keynes way too??

[ewenm]

paulrockliffe said:

Awesome, though it's not a very good fit is it! I mean, the most aero-dependent race series for the company who's cars have aero dating back to the 60s(?)!

I can just see it next year, when someone comes over to chat about the car:
"What sort of car is that?"
"It's a Caterham"
"Oh, like the F1 cars?"
"Yes, exactly like the F1 cars..."

[Dangermouse78]

Presumably Renault will keep the black/gold colour scheme when they name change, so I wonder what colour scheme Caterham will run

[Sgt^Roc]

Call them what there like they will still be slow...

[Some Gump]

Sgt Rok, that'll likely be because although the Cosworth tuned engine promises to be really powerful, the drivers will swear they're at least 15% under the power in the brochure...