What’s the deal with Lotus

Negative Camber

Sep 24, 2010

Today in Singapore, Lotus team principal Tony Fernandes announced that they have bought the rights from Davide Hunt and can now change the teams name from Lotus Racing to Team Lotus for the 2011 season*. Now I’ve heard several reason why this is important and yet something isn’t quite adding up for me.

The reasons why:
1. History: To quote Tony Fernanades: “It will bring history full circle and operate under as Team Lotus as Colin Chapman did.” Right on, jolly good and all, but I’m not buying it. History is what you tell the fans, it’s not why you do business.

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2. Control: Currently, Lotus is operating as a consortium of backers including State owned Malaysia car company Proton, who happens to own Group Lotus. By changing their name to Team Lotus, they now gain control back from Group Lotus (and Malaysia) and now stand firmly as a separate entity from them.

3. Distraction: This is all just smoke and mirrors to distract us from the real question we want answered – what engines are they running for 2011? Cosworth or Renault? Fernanades says a decision will be made shortly but that he’s confident that everything will work out. Sure, that’s what Colin Kolles says when asked about HRT financial status.

Or maybe there’s something else. Maybe I’m too much of a conspiracy theory wonk but this just doesn’t add up. There making such a big deal about something that is important but not THAT important. Did Tony steal someone’s girlfriend? I mean really, what gives? There has to be another shoe to drop. Either that or I’ve spend too much time with Ferrari and McLaren.

So what do you think?

*Apparently, baring Bernie Ecclestone’s approval since he wants the team to be know as Team Lotus F1 for some crazy reason (fills his pockets with more money).