Team Lotus buys Caterham Cars

Skeeter · 27 Apr 2011 at 11:36

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90955

And a nice blog about it here:

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/more-on-the-team-lotus-caterham-deal/

The Lotus 7 and Team Lotus are the 2 best things Colin Chapman ever did, and now they are back together again. Thankfully, Lotus Cars doesn't have a hand in it at all. I have really gone off Lotus Cars since they have started acting like spoilt school children and taking Lotus Cars to somewhere where they will likely fail.

So, rumors are Team Lotus will become Caterham Team Lotus. All good with me

Skeeter · 27 Apr 2011 at 12:16

NathanE said:
All seems a bit farcical now.

On the contrary. The whole ethos of Team Lotus has been very serious and down to earth. If anything its Lotus Cars that have got all farcical and made themselves look like fools.

I think Team Lotus are going to make much more of a success selling Caterhams than Group Lotus are going to of the new up market, fatter and heavier Lotus Cars range.

Skeeter · 28 Apr 2011 at 00:17

Wow, Caterhams are tiny!

Got that in any higher resolutions?

Skeeter · 28 Apr 2011 at 09:44

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90957

Good interview with Fernandes. Spot the dig at Group Lotus' future plans...

Confirmation they will try to get the GP2 team renamed 'Air Asia Caterham'. So if they follow the same tactic with F1 and make Caterham the 'sponsor' of the Team Lotus team, then the F1 team will be renamed 'Caterham Team Lotus'.

Skeeter · 28 Apr 2011 at 12:02

Fernandes has built a pathway for new drivers to F1.

Start of in Caterham supported Karts, move up to Caterham 7 racing, then onto the SP/300 series, then on into Air Asia backed single seaters (I think they have some Formula Renault teams don't they?), into Air Asia Caterham GP2 team, then into Team Lotus in F1.

Skeeter · 5 Jul 2011 at 19:12

Buying Caterham has nothing to do with using them as a name in F1 if they lost Team Lotus. The team hasn't been renamed, Caterham is just a sponsor (like Lotus cars are to Renault).

They are seperate business ventures. And as said, Caterham approached Fernandes about investing in Caterham. However, now they own both, it makes sence to combine the 2 and use each the market the other.

The F1 team is Team Lotus and will remain Team Lotus. It is likely to become Caterham Team Lotus though.

Skeeter · 5 Jul 2011 at 21:57

Kerming said:
not sure about that logo to be honest, i like the origional one.

It has a feel of "last minute Word Art" about it...

Skeeter · 5 Jul 2011 at 22:33

Any news on the second 'major sponsor' that was rumoured along with GE?

Skeeter · 5 Jul 2011 at 23:28

Team Lotus are in F1 for what I consider the right reasons, they are there because they want to race.

Skeeter · 6 Jul 2011 at 09:29

Yeah, if they get all the deals signed that they have lined up they will have the 6th largest budget in F1 behind RBR, McLaren, Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes. With a Renault engine and RBR gearbox, the only hole they have in their package is aero.

How long untill some big names in the technical and aero world get snapped up by Team Lotus?

Skeeter · 6 Jul 2011 at 12:12

arknor said:
i like fernandes but i dont like the lotus drivers :S

Hopefully with his GP2 team and the Caterham supported series' they should be able to grow their own tallent.

I think Heiki is a good laugh and not a bad driver, but I think Trulli is nearing the end of his career, and giving off the impression of a bitter old racing driver...