Formula 1: Group Lotus and Team Lotus to use ‘Lotus’ name for 2011
After months of speculation and informal quarrels between the two parties, the London High Court’s judge has set a hearing for 21 March, 2011 for the Lotus naming dispute.
This means that both Group Lotus and Team Lotus will use the name ‘Lotus’ at the start of 2011 Formula 1 season.
Group Lotus applied for a summary judgment on 24 January, 2011 which means that they wanted the court to give its thoughts about the case briefly hoping that their side of the story would be so strong that the court would make an immediate decision regarding
the case.
Nevertheless, Justice Peter Smith stated that all the claims would be settled in eight weeks time at the London High Court which is the earliest possible date for the court. This means that the trial will start on the second Monday after the first race of
the 2011 season which will take place in Bahrain.
Since the decision will be announced after the season begins, one of the teams may have to change its identity midway through the season.
It is believed that the trial on 24 January mainly dealt with Group Lotus’ decision of withdrawing Team Lotus’ naming rights even though they had a contract with them for a long period.
The full trial will deal with further issues of the breach of contract with each other. This includes Group Lotus’ use of Lotus’ history in the sport which Team Lotus claims it owns.
The current issue began when Group Lotus Chief Executive Officer Dany Bahar decided to end his company’s naming rights deal with Tony Fernandes’ Team Lotus. Group Lotus then joined RenaultF1 and used the name Lotus with them instead.
As a result, Tony Fernandes claimed that he had bought the naming rights for the original Team Lotus which was owned by David Hunt after the original Lotus team departed from the sport in 1994.
The Chapman Family is on Group Lotus’ side and it seems that Team Lotus is not in a very comfortable situation. If they lose the case in March, then they will have to change their name which would create more problems for them.
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