UPDATE: And it’s back on again. The video clip that was happily running for a few hours on myteamlotus’s Channel on YouTube prior to the official announcement, and was then made “private,” is back on line.
Last week, we told you about Team Lotus’ event at The Imperial War Museum in Duxford, UK, and that it would feature “an incredibly exciting announcement about the future of our team”. The British press sniffed out Caterham as the brand that would be taken over by Tony Fernandes and friends, the latest twist in this Lotus drama. Caterham’s defining model, the Seven, was originally a Lotus.
The event doesn’t start until later today, but Team Lotus has released a video featuring both the T128 and the Caterham Seven in matching colours. In it, the Kent based carmaker’s MD Ansar Ali (a former Group Lotus employee) talks about his company and its F1 linked future.
Who’s who at Caterham, as shown on companiesintheuk.co.uk
“Caterham has a unique place at the heart of the motoring world, and we’re bringing them into Formula 1. It will be the first step in our journey of producing a commercial arm for the Formula 1 team, Team Lotus.
“We will in due course be announcing the full branding and platform of how we’ll bring Caterham into Team Lotus, which I think will excite all the staff at Caterham, and all the fans of Caterham cars,” Ali said.
“We’re building for success on track, and now, with the new future of Caterham cars we’ll be taking our dream to the road as well,” he added. Sounds to us like a range expansion to include “proper road cars” with the spirit of the Seven! Could this be a bid to take on Group Lotus on all fronts?
Stay tuned for more!
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Face-saving damage control. :-)
Just leave Team Lotus name behind, he should use Team Tony Fernandez…
Did you see all the new company registrations that TF has applied for under the Team Lotus moniker? Plus all the new domain registrations for caterham/Team Lotus/Sonangol. The Angolan Oil Company must be a new major sponsor!
wow….this TF dude want to built another Lotus is it?
Congrats TF!
No doubt a good move by Tony should he loose the court battle with Dany. If that is the motive.
But..! what will happen if he wins in court and keep the name Lotus on his F1 team, kind of confusing isn’t? Racing in F1 with Lotus name but selling Caterham as road cars.
I mean what is the point if Tony is not having his road cars as Lotus, only as Caterhams and what’s the point in having a Formula One team called Team Lotus in the first place?
Sure they (Lotus and Caterham) are somehow related but I doubt the average people will know, or give two hoots, whether the old Caterhams were once based on an old Lotus design.
Wouldn’t Tony be better off ditching the Team Lotus name in F1 now and starts renaming his team and his F1 cars Caterham? Sure it’s a big pride to swallow but less messy.
Some interesting trivia, the trend used to be a car manufacturer took over an F1 team and this time it the other way around. Remember what happened last time when a “sportscar manufacturer” called Spyker took over Midland in 2007? They ran out of money, and the brand became a worthless embarrassment. Sure hope Tony will do better
If for some reason TF were to win the court case for the Team Lotus name and goes to use it to replace the Caterham name, Group Lotus actually has the grounds for a lawsuit. Although TF might be able to use the TL name in F1, using the Lotus name for a road car would definitely infringe on Group Lotus’s trademark.
If Ford were to make a fuss about the Ferrari F1 car having a similar name as their truck, Group Lotus can make a fuss about Caterham turning into Lotus, and I believe they will win.
Caterham road car = Team Lotus Sticker “Handling by Team Lotus”
Proton road car = Group Lotus Sticker “Handling by Lotus”
Any difference?Then you should say BOTH also be confusing and messy not just TL & Cat. In other words, you should also says that LRGP should ditch the Lotus name and black paint disguise and name it Proton instead. Ooops, my mistake, they shouldn’t even name it Proton name coz they did nothing except sponsoring only.IT IS A RENAULT TEAM!!!Ooops, my mistake again, it is not even a Renault Team at all, it is Genii Capital Team only using Renault engine, again another team in disguise…..so talk about MESSY and CONFUSING! Now this is i what truly think as confusing.
I know it’s a big pride to swallow to admit it is just a fake name in disguise but this will be less messy
Here are some facts you might want to contemplate;
Lotus = real car brand
Proton = real car brand
Renault = real car brand
LGRP=real F1 team
vs.
Team Lotus = the name stolen from David Hunt (he never got paid remember)..ooopss
Caterham = started from Colin Chapman (he’s also the founder of Lotus remember)…ooopps
Tony Fernandes = messy character
AirAsia = messy airline
AirAsia female flight attendants = love them.. ;)
Ohh,,,,,cmon, LRGP is real F1 Team? I believe you know the truth yourself. lotus only sponsoring and renault only supplying engine, that’s all.
Well, they finish races and already stands on two podiums.. ooopss
and if i’m not mistaken they also supplies engines to Team Lotus… ooopss
couldn’t get any real than that!!
You are done here kid.. go home ;)
hey kid, you are STILL not answering my argument at all, seems to me you’re just trying to cover up by elevating LRGP by saying their other merits, so again what does the ORIGINAL RENAULT car manufacturer got to do with LRGP except for just supplying engine to that team?tell me….i’m dying to hear it from you!!!Please convince me that i’m wrong.Just because they won two podiums and use the same engines(Yes use same engine,not supplying engine coz they do not manufacture renault engine) as TL makes them LOTUS-RENAULT GP? i can’t relate it at all. Did you watched Malaysian GP press conference?What did Jenson Button said to Heifeld?Does the bell rings?If you can’t remember then let me tell you, “Jenson: What should I call you”(as if your F1 team name) – in front of the live TV wordwide and the funny part is Heidfeld actually blur and had to think a while before able to answer him back….lolz?Care to explain?Well, surely i can go home now and rest my case but u still need to stay here and dig up more facts to prove your point if there even any.
I know what they should call LRGP……………………… THE WINNING TEAM!!!
kiddo..
Is Tony Fernandes trying to re-build Colin Chapmans Lotus?
Seeing as how Dany Bahar and Proton have decided to take Lotus on a new direction to compete with the likes of Ferrari, etc. Maybe Tony wants to rebuild Mr. Chapmans “simplify, then add lightness” cars.
Looks like I was not that wrong after all…
http://www.teamlotus.co.uk/news/2011/caterham-announcement
ermm..it’s look like more to their backup plan if the Lotus battle name FAIL! LOL
this thing is getting more and more complicated but interesting one!
from where TF got all the money????
He wasn’t on Forbes Asia’s 40th richest list for fun. The cost of purchasing Caterham probably pales in comparison to his F1 investment
haiyaiii…. it’s not just Tony la bhai.. there’s 3 person behind this purchased; Tony Fernandes, Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin
if you read the article above “Caterham as the brand that would be taken over by Tony Fernandes and friend[s]”
of course all this is moot if they actually concentrate on making their cars go faster&finish races and actually get on the podium.
with success comes sponsors…
look at williams f1 – no wins, no sponsor $$, no development money, no win….vicious cycle.
just to ‘out-lotus’ the real lotus in the naming stakes is kinda lame.
try to check this one, may be can come shed some light… dont blame me if i’m wrong….
http://www.totalf1.com/full_story/view/374984/Team_Lotus_to_become_Sonangal_Caterham_F1/
It looks like TL has secured sponsorship deal from Sonangol, an Angolan national oil company. Which means TL should have decent funding and that explains Tony able to buy Caterham. Well not a bad idea as Caterham is actually a spiritual sucessor to Colin Chapman’s old Lotus 7 creation.
Looks like the Lotus name is given to GL and Proton. Unless the court decides TL to win the court case.
well the name in dispute is only the ‘team lotus’ name which only to be used in F1…. once they put the name in the road cars…. BOOOM…!!! they’ll be eaten alive in courts by GL and proton….
so.. purchasing the caterham does not really elevates the caterham branding by using lotus name…. probably in technology…but well, we’ll know how much does F1 tech actually goes into road cars….
TF is a shameless manwhore! he dares to put Lotus car logo on the Caterham car if u noticed it! Ooi TF! U dont own Lotus brand! put TF Caterham logo instead lar..
TF never said he owns LOTUS name, he owns TEAM LOTUS name…get that right!Start to learn the difference dude….
yet he complains when Lotus Cars put theirs on a Renault. Its just business dude nothing personal. It’s us the lowly cheerleaders that usually get emotional. Usually for nothing. Heh.
Dont you get it dude? Yes, u r right about F1 Team Lotus but TF does not own the corporate logo of Lotus yet he dares to put Lotus corporate logo on a caterham car. Mau kena saman lg ker??
Ape lah team tony tue. Kata mereka build from scratch dan kata org lain beli aje company. Tengok, dia pulak yang beli company lain… Kenapa mereka tidak built from scratch bagi road version mereka??? Hahahaaa… Mereka nie bukan genius tapi pembohong
which part is the lie?
Beli keseluruhan syarikat sebagai langkah permulaan bagi tujuan memulakan industri automobilnya dan beli jentera hasil ciptaan syrikat orang lain utk terus bertanding dan menganggap sebagai kejayaan sendiri adalah dua perkara yang sangat berlainan la brother
Its like jalan alor want to change to jalan kejora , it’s the same road but not the glamour …… Loosing the name will loose the fans too
Or it is like Bangsar change to Kg Buntut Pulau*, Maybe lose some, but win some.. New name, fresh start..
(*Just google it)