Fernandes to buy Caterham & rebrand Team Lotus?

[beelsebob]

So, the BBC have a gossip column entry saying that Team Lotus may have become Caterham racing by next week. I'd love to see the name introduced to F1.

[bot6]

That would be a funny way to go around the naming dispute.

Keeping the same racing colours of course?

[raymondu999]

Imagine the legal issues if suddenly Caterham Racing decided to sue them for use of the Caterham name

[beelsebob]

Imagine the legal issues if suddenly Caterham Racing decided to sue them for use of the Caterham name

As I understand it Caterham would buy the team. The team would start racing in white with orange stripes.

[beelsebob]

Random thought that gives this more credence... If caterham were to pay more than the €30m that Team Lotus would be getting from TV rights money, it might become the ideal way out for them – they get their money, Renault stop having a way to harras them out of the sport.

[bot6]

Actually, apparently it's Fernandes buying Caterham, not the other way around. Maybe just so he can say: "now I have the lotus factory AND I can build Super 7's! So I'm more Lotus than you!"

[ESPImperium]

Imagine the legal issues if suddenly Caterham Racing decided to sue them for use of the Caterham name :P

Tony Fernandes is in the midst of a takeover of Caterham, who own Caterham Racing, so not really.

Team Caterham-Renault anyone???

They would loose the $20.4m from what used to be FOM and is now Formula One World Championship Ltd (FOWC) for the P10 in the constructors championship last year, and would have to pay back any moneys paid, this money would now go to Hispania i belive (Whitch would be good for them) however it would be tempoary pain for the rest of they year as they will easily finish P10 this year if all goes to plan and there arnt any random occurance event races where Hispania and or Virgin would/could score points.

It may be short term pain for the team if the Lotus name is gonna cause hardship for the team, but id expect a change of name next week as this could signal the worst for Fernandes an Bahar could have won this battle, for now at least.

[Fil]

This deserves its own thread, away from the technical discussion of the T128.

Team Lotus linked to Caterham tie-up

Has an F1 team ever change its official entry name midseason before?

Is it allowed?

Re-branding is a huge deal.
Not just for the FIA/FOWC and the fans, but most of all for team sponsors/partners. Not only are they no longer associated with the Lotus name for which they signed up, but all their invested marketing collateral for the year is ruined too. Not to mention any momentum they've built in the year's marketing & branding activities thusfar.
The costs of a re-brand are far-reaching and will break many contracts.

It's not as simple as losing some historical constructor prize-money & adding a couple splashes of paint..


Is this a cheaper option for Fernandes over a long legal battle? What's the ulterior motivation?
If true, this is a far cry from the warlike defiant cries of 'we are Team Lotus' earlier in the year..

[bhall]

Midland became Spyker a few years back mid-season, but I don't know if the official change in name was recognized immediately.

[Fil]

Not exactly.. Spyker, through the buyout, officially (in F1 terms) became title sponsor for the final 3 races of 2006.

The team was then 'Spyker MF1 Racing'.
Only for the 2007 season did they actually become Spyker F1 Team.


A livery change, midseason, required the unanimous approval of all teams. I'm not sure if there are provisions in F1 for a name change of this magnitude.


Caterham Racing Team Lotus Renault, anybody?

[Tamburello]

Yes, please. Anything to end this Lotus vs Lotus saga...

[donskar]

This deserves its own thread, away from the technical discussion of the T128.

Team Lotus linked to Caterham tie-up

Has an F1 team ever change its official entry name midseason before?

Is it allowed?

Re-branding is a huge deal.
Not just for the FIA/FOWC and the fans, but most of all for team sponsors/partners. Not only are they no longer associated with the Lotus name for which they signed up, but all their invested marketing collateral for the year is ruined too. Not to mention any momentum they've built in the year's marketing & branding activities thusfar.
The costs of a re-brand are far-reaching and will break many contracts.

It's not as simple as losing some historical constructor prize-money & adding a couple splashes of paint..


Is this a cheaper option for Fernandes over a long legal battle? What's the ulterior motivation?
If true, this is a far cry from the warlike defiant cries of 'we are Team Lotus' earlier in the year..

An intelligent post! However, the Fernandez/Lotus has much less to lose than the Lotus that actually sells cars. Safe to assume there will be no immediate change. Sponsors will be happy to avoid sponsoring ANYONE involved in a court battle. Short-term loss for Fernandez, long-term gain. Nothing but loss for Caterham. Pity for them.

[Scania]

This deserves its own thread, away from the technical discussion of the T128.

Team Lotus linked to Caterham tie-up

Has an F1 team ever change its official entry name midseason before?

Is it allowed?

Re-branding is a huge deal.
Not just for the FIA/FOWC and the fans, but most of all for team sponsors/partners. Not only are they no longer associated with the Lotus name for which they signed up, but all their invested marketing collateral for the year is ruined too. Not to mention any momentum they've built in the year's marketing & branding activities thusfar.
The costs of a re-brand are far-reaching and will break many contracts.

It's not as simple as losing some historical constructor prize-money & adding a couple splashes of paint..


Is this a cheaper option for Fernandes over a long legal battle? What's the ulterior motivation?
If true, this is a far cry from the warlike defiant cries of 'we are Team Lotus' earlier in the year..

An intelligent post! However, the Fernandez/Lotus has much less to lose than the Lotus that actually sells cars. Safe to assume there will be no immediate change. Sponsors will be happy to avoid sponsoring ANYONE involved in a court battle. Short-term loss for Fernandez, long-term gain. Nothing but loss for Caterham. Pity for them.

I don't think Caterham would lose
owned by a F1 team means they can get the technology of CFRP Chassic and new car development. all we know is Caterham don't know how to make a new car from nothing.

[ESPImperium]

Not exactly.. Spyker, through the buyout, officially (in F1 terms) became title sponsor for the final 3 races of 2006.

The team was then 'Spyker MF1 Racing'.
Only for the 2007 season did they actually become Spyker F1 Team.


A livery change, midseason, required the unanimous approval of all teams. I'm not sure if there are provisions in F1 for a name change of this magnitude.


Caterham Racing Team Lotus Renault, anybody? :wtf:

Good point. 2006 saw West McLaren Mercedes become Team McLaren Mercedes mid season. However there has been a change in Concorde Aggreement since then.

I see no problem with the change, bus as i said in the T128 thread, i belive that Team Lotus, if they change to Team Caterham -Renault for instance, they would have to repay any of the $20.4m to the remanants of FOM that are now Formula One World Championship Ltd, and then this money would be passed to the next team in the 2010 championship, witch is Hispania. But if there isnt any Random Occurance Events in the season where Hispania and or Virgin score points, i can see the Hingham based team being able to take the $20.4m that P10 in the constructors championship offers for next year, where they wouldnt have to worry about a chassis name change.

And Team Caterham-Renault has a certain ring to it i must admit.

[gibells]

I've brought it up before, as have others, but isn't Team Lotus's name actually 1Malasia Racing (trading as Team Lotus- if you like). And if that is the case, Fernandes wouldn't lose anything would he. But anyway, I like the idea of this. Just that Caterham would physically be split between Surrey and Norfolk. Also it gives Caterham a bit of a boost for the release of their SP 300 R, which for me out-Lotuses Lotus, who seem infatuated in Ferrarifying themselves and moving themselves away from Chapman's spirit.