Who are the real ‘Lotus’ in F1? (Poll)
Debates and polls
Two different teams are locked in a dispute over who has the right to use the Lotus name.
Both intend to use cars in classic black-and-gold John Player Special Lotus colours in 2011.
Who do you think are the real Lotus? Cast your vote and have your say below.
Jarno Trulli, Lotus, Valencia, 2010
Lotus Racing
The team entered into F1 by Tony Fernandes in 2010. Fernandes bought the licence to use the name ‘Lotus’ from Proton, owners of Group Lotus, in 2009.
Lotus Racing has always considered itself a continuation of the classic Team Lotus and marked its 500th Grand Prix start at Valencia this year.
Fernandes acquired the rights to use the name Team Lotus from David Hunt in September. Hunt has owned them since the original team collapsed at the end of 1994.
2011 Lotus-Renault livery
Lotus Cars
The company which builds Lotus road cars was historically separate from the racing team.
They have now agreed a title sponsorship deal with Renault and have become an equity partner in their F1 team.
They plan to call the team Lotus Renault GP.
Over to you
Which team do you consider the rightful user of the name ‘Lotus’? Cast your vote and have you say below.
Who are the real 'Lotus' in F1?
- Lotus Racing (65%)
- Lotus Cars (17%)
- Neither (18%)
Total Voters: 4,056
Loading ...Lotus naming rights row
- Lotus to keep name until 2017 despite losing title sponsorship
- Lotus confirms 2012 name change to Caterham
- Renault, Lotus and Virgin to change names in 2012
- Bahar ‘determined’ to win right to call team ‘Lotus’
- Court rules Lotus have right to use name “Team Lotus”
- Fernandes: Group Lotus did their best to destroy us
- Lotus vs Lotus: Time to stop the nonsense
- Team Lotus revert to green and yellow livery for 2011
- Renault reveal R30 with new 2011 Lotus livery
- Who are the real ‘Lotus’ in F1? (Poll)
Blake Merriam said on 9th December 2010, 8:01
Frankly, Red Bull has better brand integrity at this point. “F” Lotus.
owain bright said on 9th December 2010, 9:24
it depends which way you look at it, lotus racing are the real lotus f1 team and group lotus are the real lotus car manufacturer.
for the record, the new lotus renault team make no claim to the original lotus f1 teams history, or accomplishments.
it’s a silly argument, but i really doubt that group lotus will allow tony fernandes to race with thier brand name anymore….
Daniel Bigham said on 9th December 2010, 10:12
It isn’t Group Lotus’ history to licence out, it’s Team Lotus’ history, which Group Lotus didn’t acquire, David Hunt did. Please read http://www.saveteamlotus.com/
owainbright said on 9th December 2010, 10:36
i know, what point does that make? as i said the new team aren’t claiming the history. they are being sponsored by the company group lotus.
for me it’s a pointless argument, group lotus can sponsor whoever they want. i don’t imagine them being overly happy with a second team using their brand identity though.
i think this will be resolved in there being one lotus team, lotus renault gp and the other team being known as 1 malaysia racing.
it’s a shame, but at the end of the day we should be glad that lotus the brand are back in f1. it may not be the same team, but at least lotus are involved rather than just selling the name.
Cube said on 9th December 2010, 12:38
Actually Group Lotus have said they don’t mind there being two Lotus’ because it means “THEY” have four cars instead of two.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 9th December 2010, 13:11
As much as you can argue that no team is Lotus in the classic sense, it’s not really about that. The fact is that Fernandes had the backing and has done the name proud. They have built a fanbase and seem like a good bet for the future. It’s disrespectful to drag the Lotus name into disripute and the only people doing that are Lotus Group.
Had they finished 12th it makes you wonder whether or not Group Lotus would be here now making their stake with Renault.
J-Dubya said on 9th December 2010, 20:57
Didn’t the early Lotus Europa models come with Renault power? They did here in the US.
Hare said on 9th December 2010, 22:44
I really don’t care who the real Lotus is, as they’re both different entities and so be it. However, I do wish the fighting over the name would go away. Certainly in public and the little sniping remarks from ‘green and yellow’ lotus.
Jeremy said on 10th December 2010, 0:03
I didn’t read all 170 responses but from the first page and “no connection to the history of Team Lotus” comments:
Litespeed F3 team is made up of original Team Lotus members and were part of the group of engineers that Tony has employed from the onset after the purchase of their F1 entry for the 2010 season when the budget cap fell through. So there is technically a lineage back to the original Team Lotus from the 90′s at least, depending on each of their tenures.
dahlia said on 10th December 2010, 20:03
Lotus DNA? – Group Lotus or Team Lotus? who 1?
Team Lotus VL owned by Group Lotus or Chapman?
HeHeHe… Like u married widow
not ur dna but ur wife dna
same name ok
how about ur name?
michael scott said on 12th December 2010, 8:30
This is typically modern motor”SPORT”….Ever since David Hunt bought LOTUS and devoted huge sums of money and years of dedicated hard work to try and get Team Lotus back on the F1 grid there were SPORTSMEN in F1 determined to stop it happening.
Of course it can only be Tony F’s team and good luck to them.
Of course LOTUS cars will automatically benefit however well or badly.
The only sportsmen in F1 are most of the drivers but some of them forget.