Chapman Family decides to support Group Lotus over Team Lotus
Team Lotus and Group Lotus have been fighting over the rights to the name Lotus since a pretty long time now and it seems that both of these companies are just fighting over spilled water. It was revealed that this matter will be taken to the court and the
court will give its verdict before the 2011 Formula 1 season.
However, Group Lotus claims that Team Lotus should not claim the legacy of the legendary team founded by Colin Chapman. Lotus withdrew from Formula 1 back in 1993 after winning 7 titles. On the other hand, Team Lotus returned to the sport with the same expectations
this year but they were one of the worst teams on the grid. But they somehow managed to perform better than the other two new teams HRT and Virgin Racing Team.
As a result, Group Lotus decided to part ways with Team Lotus and joined RenaultF1 team. Renault changed its official name to Lotus Renault GP and it seems that Colin Chapman’s family is on Group Lotus’s side.
Clive Chapman, the son of the founder of Lotus and owner of the Classic Team Lotus recently revealed that he is supporting Group Lotus over Team Lotus.
“The Chapman Family is impressed by the exciting developments underway at Group Lotus, and it is very grateful to Proton for the significant investment that is being made, to secure a strong future for the excellent workforce at the Hethel factory,” said
Clive.
Tony claims that he bought the rights to the name from David Hunt but it seems that there is no confirmation of these rumours yet.
“In 2010 the Chapman Family and Classic Team Lotus have been pleased to support Group Lotus in many ways. In consultation with Proton, this included supporting the use of the Lotus name in Formula 1, which was licensed by Group Lotus,” Colin Chapman’s son
added.
Last year, Tony Fernandes and his team received blessing from both Group Lotus and the Chapman family but it because of the unprofessional acts of the team, it seems that neither of them want Team Lotus to use the legendary name.
“The Chapman Family was impressed by the achievements of Lotus Racing [Fernandes' outfit] as a new team, and appreciated its respect for Team Lotus history. However, then its license to use the Lotus name was terminated and things changed,” said Chapman.
Clive Chapman stated that he would’ve been happier if his father’s team did not return to the sport with such controversies.
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