Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

[nacho]

If that is true... sounds unbelievable, but what do I know.

[segedunum]

Interesting read Pandamasque, thanks.

I think any one of us in their right mind could see this was a Qadbak style pyramid scheme running off the back of the Lotus name. What I didn't know was just how bad a state the Lotus car company is in themselves, although I thought they were just about ticking over. The comments are even more revealing and tally with some of the rumours that I have picked up:

• Proton require vast public loans just to stay afloat and will need to produce three times as many cars just to break even.

To be honest this isn't a great surprise. Proton have never dealt in volume and as such were always going to be teetering on the brink.

• They're looking for 40 million in grants from the UK government.

Yer, right. Not really the right economic circumstances to be asking for that.

• Rumours from the Autosport International Trade Show in January suggest that the global Motorsport budget has not even been signed off by Proton.

This is another one I've heard, and it doesn't surprise me one bit. I've long thought this was some kind of Qadbak style scheme that has managed to get its claws into the weak Proton and Lotus organisation to lend itself some apparent credibility.

People can criticise Fernandes and his team all they want for not being the 'real' Lotus, but at least the guy has set up an actual race team and has done what he said he was going to do. At the end of the day, Fernandes is the one who is going to have to mop up the tattered remains of the Lotus name after this sorry episode. Lotus will at least be reunited though.

The Renault team will inevitably be folded when this all goes belly up and when Renault pulls out at the end of 2012, or when they can find an excuse to divest themselves of the team that bears their name. The then 'real' Lotus team will probably acquire some new staff and infrastructure.

[Pandamasque]

For one I don't think Renault will be folded at all. I have a suspicion that Bullier will ride the Lotus wave as long as it lasts and get ready to switch the theme once the Proton money run out. Maybe Lotus actually is nothing more than just a sponsor contrary to what Group Lotus PR suggested.
As for Fernandes, I was one of those who moaned about his team (Lotus Racing) not being the real Lotus etc. But if anything, now they do have the legal right to be called Team Lotus and looking at what they achieved in such a short while, I think the name is in good hands.
As for the car company, my attitude has changed a lot. I always liked modern Lotus cars as they remained loyal to the Chapman tradition. But the new management seems to do all possible to change all that beyond recognition ASAP.

On a different note. Has anyone seen a GT2 Evora in fles?. JetAlliance were granted 2 GTE Pro entries for Le Mans because they submitted 2 full season ILMC entries. I've heard there's a concession for Sebring, but other than that they must participate in every race.

[segedunum]

Maybe Lotus actually is nothing more than just a sponsor contrary to what Group Lotus PR suggested.

They are just a sponsor. Boullier has taken some care recently to create that dividing line. It's clear that Renault will probably pull out at the end of 2012 completely, and will divest themselves of the team completely at some point. Without a firm sponsor Boullier and the team at Enstone are going to find it pretty tough.

It's very funny to see how the Group Lotus people have bought up ambassadors and seemingly even David Hunt, the former 'owner' of the Team Lotus name, with money they don't have.

EDIT: Along with the Chapman family. Alas, peoples' opinions won't make Group Lotus's naming dispute case any stronger.

[Pandamasque]

It's very funny to see how the Group Lotus people have bought up ambassadors and seemingly even David Hunt, the former 'owner' of the Team Lotus name, with money they don't have.

AFAIK David Hunt needs Group Lotus support to continue in historic racing. This may explain why he so suddenly changed his mind about Fernendes.

[nacho]

It's very funny to see how the Group Lotus people have bought up ambassadors and seemingly even David Hunt, the former 'owner' of the Team Lotus name, with money they don't have.

AFAIK David Hunt needs Group Lotus support to continue in historic racing. This may explain why he so suddenly changed his mind about Fernendes.

You mean Clive Chapman.

[segedunum]

AFAIK David Hunt needs Group Lotus support to continue in historic racing. This may explain why he so suddenly changed his mind about Fernendes.

You mean Clive Chapman.

Both. They're going to be pretty embarrassed when, like Qadbak, Notts County and BMW, they find there is actually no money.

[nacho]

David Hunt sold Team Lotus to Fernandes, are you saying they are running out of money or what do you mean?

[Pandamasque]

David Hunt sold Team Lotus to Fernandes, are you saying they are running out of money or what do you mean?

Group Lotus not Team Lotus (are running out of money).

[ESPImperium]

David Hunt sold Team Lotus to Fernandes, are you saying they are running out of money or what do you mean?

Group Lotus not Team Lotus (are running out of money).

Group Lotus are in dire trouble, but from my sources they have ambitious plans that are going well but development is sluggish to be ambiguous. The problem with Group Lotus is that their plants still do things by hand, no mechanised assembly line and no set time to put things in. Cars are wheeled by hand and the guys take as long as is needed to get a dash into the car for example.

What Group Lotus need is to focus on a core of say 5 cars, get the right over say 3-years and make money from them and then introduce a couple of new models as well as a few select revisions to the core business model. Ill give it a year or so before Tony Fernandez picks the Group Lotus brand and assets up and ill give it 2 more years after that till it turns a decent profit.

[CHT]

Group Lotus must be celebrating their first podium now..

[N12ck]

I find it amusing how martin brundle was saying how Petrov taking his first podium for lotus renault, and then how he then says about heikki kovalianen in the lotus renault, and at other times he call the lotus renault gp cars renaults, and team lotus cars lotuses, talk about confusing people who dont know the full story!

here its described brilliantly

http://chiefofficers.net/888333888/cms/ ... es_further

[Anth]

David Hunt sold Team Lotus to Fernandes, are you saying they are running out of money or what do you mean?

Group Lotus not Team Lotus (are running out of money).

Group Lotus are in dire trouble, but from my sources they have ambitious plans that are going well but development is sluggish to be ambiguous. The problem with Group Lotus is that their plants still do things by hand, no mechanised assembly line and no set time to put things in. Cars are wheeled by hand and the guys take as long as is needed to get a dash into the car for example.

What Group Lotus need is to focus on a core of say 5 cars, get the right over say 3-years and make money from them and then introduce a couple of new models as well as a few select revisions to the core business model. Ill give it a year or so before Tony Fernandez picks the Group Lotus brand and assets up and ill give it 2 more years after that till it turns a decent profit.

Remember, group lotus is lotus cars AND lotus engineering, it's engineering that makes the money

[Fil]

Anyone else notice Team Lotus' 1Malaysia logo on the Renault in China??

What's that about?!
Very odd to see a competitor's logo on another car, particularly when they're battling in court as well..

EDIT: Does Team Lotus still have 1Malaysia within its official name like it did in 2010? Have I missed that part of the name being omitted?

[Pandamasque]

First of all

EDIT: Does Team Lotus still have 1Malaysia within its official name like it did in 2010? Have I missed that part of the name being omitted?

I think they do. They only changed the 'unofficial name' from Lotus Racing(or something?) to Team Lotus.