The “Battle of the Lotuses” is the talk of the town, with Proton owned Group Lotus joining Formula 1 by buying over Renault’s shares in the Renault F1 Team. The team will be called Lotus-Renault, with Lotus being the title sponsor. Regarding the name, it’s much like what Vodafone or Petronas is to McLaren and Mercedes GP respectively; so happens that Lotus is a car manufacturer.
But GL’s ambitions are higher than just being a title sponsor and shareholder, although that’s the starting point. GL CEO Dany Bahar hints about taking full control of the team in the next few years. “Our way of doing things means that at the end of the project we would like to control it ourselves,” the former Ferrari employee told Autosport.
“It’s the same route – it starts somewhere and then you slowly take control. We would not be in for the long-term just to be a sponsor on the team,” he added.
Lotus is in the midst of a major renewal, and signaled their intent by wheeling out five concepts at the Paris Motor Show. They’ll need a lot of money to realise that future range of cars. Do they have enough for Formula 1? “We would not commit without backing from shareholders, banks and investors. If we didn’t it would be foolish to come up with ambitious plans like this,” Bahar assures.
There will be three “home teams” with Malaysian backing next season. Who will you support at Sepang? :)
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments reflect a mix of support and criticism regarding Group Lotus's involvement in F1, with some feeling that the team is using the Lotus brand mainly for branding and sponsorship benefits, rather than genuine legacy or manufacturing ties. There is discussion on the complexities of team names, national anthems, and sponsorship logos, especially the link between Proton, Lotus, and F1 teams. Several comments express pride in Malaysia’s participation, supporting local teams, and celebrating Malaysian involvement in F1, although some critics see the efforts as driven by ego or financial motives. The general sentiment shows enthusiasm for Malaysian presence in F1, mixed with skepticism about branding authenticity and motivations behind team name changes and sponsorship deals.