Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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scotty86
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Joined: 04 Dec 2010, 17:03

Re: Renault R31

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I heard that they re-signed several key aero staff during last season (these people were supposedly important during their title winning period). Can anyone confirm/deny this?


Either way, Renault appeared to have a particularly good success rate with their upgrades last season - i believe their f-duct design was very effective, hence why other teams copied the basic idea; although they were slow to introduce concepts such as this, so i guess it could go either way in 2011...

gibells
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Joined: 08 Apr 2009, 16:23
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Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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Carlo's
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Joined: 29 Dec 2009, 12:06

Re: Renault R31

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Renault F1 Team transforms into Lotus Renault GP. However, chassis name will remain as R3X.

Image

Kriss
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Joined: 26 Jan 2008, 23:28

Re: Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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What about the name Truli & Heiki team? Anyone know? What M. Gascoyne say about this?

marcush.
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Joined: 09 Mar 2004, 16:55

Re: Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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what a travesty...for decades no team lotus now we got to teams with the same color scheme ,engine and lotus name?

is Bernie amused ? I cannot believe Proton is doing this.What is their aim ? try to outsmart Fernandez?I do not get the idea behind all this it is bad PR and nobody will understand wich is what .Disastrous for the brand Lotus

gibells
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Re: Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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Thinking about it, doesn't there have to be a clear unanimous vote from other members of FOTA to allow team names to be changed, including the use of title sponsors? If this is the case they would clearly not get the chance to mention the name Lotus as a sponsor. Hope it really blows up in their faces.

gridwalker
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Re: Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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This is such a shame : I had grown quite fond of the new Renault team that had emerged from the ashes of Crashgate.

Now, after these bully boy tactics against the incumbent "team lotus", I'm not going to cheer for them again.

Way to alienate a large proportion of your potential fanbase guys!!!

What moron thought that a team branding "land-grab" would be a good idea?
"Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine ..."

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WhiteBlue
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Re: Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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The concord restrictions apply to the constructor name. AFAIK the Enstone team are keeping the Renault name to address just that issue. The drawback obviously is having the wrong contructor name. Lotus is only appearing in their title sponsorship and not as their constructor name.
Formula One's fundamental ethos is about success coming to those with the most ingenious engineering and best .............................. organization, not to those with the biggest budget. (Dave Richards)

ajdavison2
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Joined: 08 Dec 2010, 12:41

Re: Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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Hi, long time watcher, first time poster.
I was just a little bit confused as to weather or not this means that there will be four cars running the same livery or not, or if the Lotus and Renault team have merged as one? Sorry if this has been covered

gridwalker
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Re: Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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Hi there, welcome to the forum!

I am afraid that there has been no merger : we now have the current "Lotus" team (an independent running the Lotus brand under license) and the new Lotus Renault team, which is essentially the old Renault team with an injection of funds from Group Lotus (who build road cars).

Group Lotus are claiming to be the rightful heirs to the Lotus Name, although Group Lotus never raced in F1 : Team Lotus was a separate company, set up by the same man.

So, until this situation settles down, we have 4 cars running 2 similar liveries, identical engines and fighting out the rights to one team name.

Oh, what a mess!
"Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine ..."

Giblet
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Joined: 19 Mar 2007, 01:47
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Re: Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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Boooooooooooooooo!

Horrible and shameful positioning and tactics.
Before I do anything I ask myself “Would an idiot do that?” And if the answer is yes, I do not do that thing. - Dwight Schrute

gridwalker
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Re: Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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I was against reviving the Lotus name when it was a matter of standing on the shoulders of giants, so I am appalled now that a corporation is bulldozing its way past the efforts of more rightful contenders just so that they can dance on Colin Chapman's grave.

The old man would be disgusted at what is happening in the gold rush to capitalise on his legacy.

</rage>
"Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine ..."

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Intego
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Joined: 01 Apr 2010, 16:35

Re: Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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And again it's all about the money. Group Lotus' aim is to play a bigger role in the sports car market. They increase their range and want to attack the big players. Therefore they need big marketing – and clearly that is F1. So they decided to go with Renault F1.

Why? It's the best placed not "married" car on track AND they have huge connections to Russia (via Petrov even to the Dear Leader Vladimir Putin) – a big market for luxury (sport) cars. (BTW: With this constellation Petrov has a secure cockpit.)

Why not Team Lotus formerly known as Lotus Racing? Anyhow both Lotusses (sorry :P ) have roots in Malaysia.
Simple: There's no marketing effect driving behind the field.

Now some conspiracy theory that came to my mind: Why did Tony Fernandes & Co. choose the Lotus brand to start the team with? It was something like a last minute decision IIRC. Did they hear about the Group Lotus plans and wanted to play along to make some money?

BTW: I neither hate Renault F1 nor Lotus Racing, just associating. No bashing, please. O:)
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SavantGuarde
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Joined: 22 Jun 2008, 18:42

Re: Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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Disgusting! I know which Lotus I'll be cheering for!
Somehow I think the boys at the renault factory are feeling a bit sick about this too.

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Intego
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Joined: 01 Apr 2010, 16:35

Re: Group Lotus buys Renault F1 Team

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"Will the real Lotus please stand up?" :mrgreen: Image
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