Tony Fernandes to rename Team Lotus to Caterham F1?

Tony Fernandes to rename Team Lotus to Caterham F1?

The Formula 1 fraternity is currently at the 2011 Italian GP in Monza and this congregation has churned out an interesting rumor about the Tony Fernandes-led Team Lotus. According to James Allen’s website, a middle ground has been reached between Tony Fernandes and Proton-owned Group Lotus over the naming conflict.

Apparently Fernandes has agreed to give up the Team Lotus name and is currently applying to use the name Caterham F1 Team via the FIA and FOM. As you would know, Caterham was recently added to Fernandes’ umbrella along with the Queens Park Rangers football club.

According to the website, this will also trickle down to the GP2 team with the name of Caterham Team Air Asia. You can safely expect Fernandes to use the Caterham brand in all of his motorsport endeavors and perhaps you might see a Formula 1-inspired road car by Caterham too.

Tony Fernandes to rename Team Lotus to Caterham F1?

With the new name, it is said that the yellow-green colour combo will be retained, minus the Lotus badge of course. This would definitely make Group Lotus boss Dany Bahar a very happy man who would be able to rename Lotus Renault to Team Lotus in the future.

You might wonder how all of these came about. James Allen revealed that the deal was part of the MAS-Air Asia partnership that was struck recently. Apparently, ending the Lotus fiasco was part of the government’s end of the partnership requirement which makes sense.

Regarding the issue of renaming the chassis, Fernandes should be able to do it as long as he receives a unanimous agreement by the competing teams. There is also news that Team Lotus will be relocated to Leafield in Oxford, away from Norfolk where it calls home at the moment. Leafield houses a former TWR facility which could be used by the squad.

It is also said that the team is currently expanding its man power. In my perspective, this is a very sensible move if there is any truth behind the rumor in the first place. It would put the naming conflict which started last season to a peaceful end and confusion over two Lotus brands in Formula 1 will come to a stop as well.

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Harvinder Sidhu

Harvinder Singh Sidhu thinks there's nothing better than Formula 1, not even sliced bread. Having written about cars since 2006, he plunged head first into the industry out of a passion for all things four-wheeled and everything in between. The F1 enthusiast has been following the sport since 1999 and has been keeping up with it since. In between races he keeps himself busy as the host of the Driven motoring show and as our version of the Joker.

 

Comments

  • raybrig on Sep 11, 2011 at 1:09 pm

    Just as I though, Team Lotus is not the Real Lotus..

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    • jay8393 on Sep 11, 2011 at 5:18 pm

      Team Lotus was the real Lotus, but because Lotus Group (or rather, CEO Danny Bahar) wanted to join F1 themselves, they started finding fault with Fernandes so that they can have a reason to stop Fernandes from using the ‘Lotus’ name. By the way, if you don’t know, the reason given by Lotus Group to terminate their agreement with Fernandes’ team was that “Fernandes never consulted them over the team shirt design”, which I find rather silly and is obvious that Lotus Group is up to something.

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      • Eyesore on Sep 13, 2011 at 12:45 pm

        nothing is silly about breaching a contract ..kiddo… in professional world a simple contract breach could cause a company to ‘bungkus’. Plus it was proved that the breaching intentionally done. Seeing how TF is doing his business, if LOTUS close one eye on the simple contract breach I’m sure a bigger one will come soon…

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    • team_lotus fans on Sep 17, 2011 at 4:46 pm

      Anyway Lotus group had lose cases to Tony and Team Lotus is always separated from group lotus..GL is not the real Team Lotus..group lotus are loser..haha..

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  • dodgeviper88 on Sep 11, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    If this is true, it is a cliche ending of politics meddling into anything and everything in malaysia. Anyway, government 1 – Fernandes 0.

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    • telomere on Sep 11, 2011 at 2:17 pm

      meh..

      gov. ends up paying much more than what tony deserved. well played tony.

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    • well tony oso a govt supporter

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    • M'sian Salvatore on Sep 11, 2011 at 4:54 pm

      In my opinion, this should 1 should be the deal of the share swap in MAS – AirAsia where Tony can have important influence over the M’sia airline market and excess to all sky air routes which he is now both director in MAS & AirAsia. I personally view this as a big success as Airline is Tony’s core business. AirAsia airline business have bring him a lots of international & global recognition (eg: forbes, airtrack, etc) and also from royal awards from British queen, French king & our Agong as well. so 1 : 1 draws for govt and tony. Anyway, Group lotus just a mere title sponsor on French’s Renault in F1 and doesn’t own the share of LRGP where Renault sport F1 didn’t want to sell to Group Lotus so sell 100% ownership to Genii capital. If this Name issues unsolved drag too longer, it harm both parties damage even much worse the Brand reputation by the Group lotus themselves for repeating challenge the high court verdict. That cause too much cost which must be avoid in business. so let guess who r the real winner??!!

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    • tiadaid on Sep 11, 2011 at 5:31 pm

      If you know the true story of the MAS-AirAsia swap, you’ll find that it’s actually TF – 1 Malaysian taxpayers – 0

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      • armchair critique on Sep 12, 2011 at 8:29 am

        I’m curious, what is that true story that I missed? Care to provide links?

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  • A Ahsia on Sep 11, 2011 at 1:24 pm

    Dei Tony, your tummi so big la. It forms a barrier between you and the powerful people in F1. Go exercise with your drivers.

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  • Dak Ajan on Sep 11, 2011 at 1:41 pm

    wait until monza..!! wait until next year.. !!

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  • Gaduh2 takde guna….Airasia juga yang berkembang pesat…unlike our beloved Proton…makin kecut adalaa…perabis pitih untuk Lotus…

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    • telomere on Sep 12, 2011 at 12:35 pm

      ohh.. so you never knew the inside story, don’t you?

      what about his threat to move Air Asia HQ to indonesia. what about recent move to take over route in rural sabah/sarawak from firefly. after this no more competition and he can charge whatever ticket price he wants. monopoly is never good for consumer.

      rakyat lose big time.

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  • b.boom on Sep 11, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    what is the point !!! it not gonna win anything. just waste of time & money .

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  • drMpower on Sep 11, 2011 at 2:49 pm

    i think he’ll gloat about the picture with bernie
    atleast thats where his mouth is (and can substantiate with that pic)

    points tony. points.

    could the qpr purchase give u points?
    or…..wait.

    could it be the breaker for bernie to listen to u?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • squawk on Sep 11, 2011 at 8:57 pm

      Buying the Queens gives Tony a chance to get close to Mittal and take away a headache from Bernie. :-)

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  • kaminski on Sep 11, 2011 at 2:50 pm

    Does this pave the way for Firefly F1 ? LOL

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  • Ohmyword on Sep 11, 2011 at 2:55 pm

    DISSAPOINTED……IF THIS IS TRUE

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  • Sunny Jaafar on Sep 11, 2011 at 4:07 pm

    why dany bahar have to happy for that? renault is renault… its not lotus. they are just title sponsor, how many percent stake they have in the team?

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    • squawk on Sep 11, 2011 at 9:05 pm

      Renault is only an engine supplier to the F1 team. They are supposed to sell off their 25% stake in the team to Group Lotus but continue to supply engines.

      So a Lotus Renault isn’t entirely a Renault either. Just like a Lotus can also be called a Toyota since it uses Toyota engines. :-)

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      • Sunny Jaafar on Sep 12, 2011 at 11:03 am

        You are totally wrong. No need to argue about this…
        Try to browse on FIA or F1 official website and check it out….
        Renault still Renault. Team Lotus is Team Lotus.

        http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/teams/

        In another word, although you are driving mercedes, you are still a Malaysian, not German… okk

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        • squawk on Sep 12, 2011 at 5:54 pm

          Ok. But how much of Renault, the F1 team does Renault, the car company own?

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          • M'sian Salvatore on Sep 13, 2011 at 3:08 am

            Renault sport F1 sold 100% to Genii capital with condition their chasis and team name must have the RENAULT brand to continue marketing the brand name. Renault intention is try to retain their 2005 & 2006 title continue stay listed at FIA and another issue is the crashgate singapore saga temporary withdraw from the sport but still continue do engine supplier business to Renault (genii capital), Team Lotus, Red Bull and Williams (for 2012 onwards). They soon will return to retake back their outfit after few years when people eventually forgotten about this saga (this is not the 1st time Renault do this way when facing huge issue) to avoid damage their brand reputation worldwide. They also scare other country automakers come borrow and use their previous glorious records as like their own 1. French are not dumb to give it to their rivals. so they not sold any stake to group lotus. 1 more thing is GL is loss making automaker every year may not have to good financial to purchase any share deal.

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          • squawk on Sep 13, 2011 at 11:02 am

            So this arrangement makes Renault an engine supplier to the team currently, no?

            I think you’ve also misread. ‘Supposed to’ doesn’t mean anything has been done.

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  • shirts on Sep 11, 2011 at 7:52 pm

    I wish f1 went back to the old days whr technology rules, change engine and car parts between qualifying and race… Unlimited tyres.. Fueling at pitstops… Tonnes of wind tunnel and track testing… The pinnacle of motorsports deserve better than loud half past six jesters…. Cmon bernie… Look at dtm… U think cheapo teams can enter easily and disgrace the sport??? Its professionalism.. Quality… Leading edge technology… and class.. Not budget airline slogans for prestigous events.

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    • GT Fan on Sep 12, 2011 at 11:03 am

      Agreed. Despite all the rules and regulations to make the sport competitive, you have a driver from a drinks company poised to win the championship in the next race. I rather they have free for all testing, technology application and effort and have someone win a championship earlier in the season than the current scenario. F1 have become a glorified go-kart championship.

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    • team_lotus fans on Sep 17, 2011 at 4:53 pm

      If that so..then f1 will die and end..budget airline will rule..F***.

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  • government won, tax payer loose.

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  • Unforgiven on Sep 11, 2011 at 10:32 pm

    If I’m a taxpayer or if I need to spend my money, I would rather support a money making company as compare to MAS or Proton/Lotus…

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    • Unforgiven on Sep 12, 2011 at 11:59 am

      Are you proud of AirAsia? Or are you proud of Proton?
      Are you proud of Inspira? Honestly I’m not!

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      • M'sian Salvatore on Sep 13, 2011 at 3:56 am

        i only agree with u on proton & inspira except AirAsia. without AirAsia all the medium and lower class society people don’t have the chance to fly. AA make it become possible and thankful that tony fernandes make it happen. Now everyone can fly give every1 have the chances and affordable price to fly.
        Are you proud of MAS? Honestly i’m not. Rasuah amat kuat kat dalam. Potong rakyat adalah.

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  • azrai on Sep 12, 2011 at 7:28 am

    On 1 hand it is good to learn 1 Malaysia spirit in resolving the team lotus name issue. In the another hand it is bad because the g have to interfered and swap stake via our national carrier to Tony fernandez. Even though Air Asia make profit, its entire assets and liability including debt is higher than the loss making MAS. It is like comparing the Glazer’s MU’s debt with Arsenal good account. Even though Arsenal did’nt manage to win any trophy like MU does, but Arsenal have small debts and making profit every year under economist Arsene Wenger than debt laden + interest every year to Glazer’s MU.

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  • Pls la. Call a spade a spade, a loser a loser.

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