Fernandes: “We are Team Lotus”

The battle between the Lotus Group and Lotus Racing has taken a new twist. Proton bought the shares of Renault in the Genii Capital team, which will become the Lotus Renault GP team, displaying black and gold single-seaters in homage to the previous partnership between the two manufacturers dating from the 1980s.

But this project was initially that of Tony Fernandes, who wanted to take back the name of Team Lotus as well as the colors displayed on the old Lotus cars? Renault. The Malaysian has also signed a contract with the French engine manufacturer so that Losange supplies its engines to its team instead of Cosworth.

But the Malaysian businessman is not dejected by the news of the partnership between Genii and Proton and he still claims to be Team Lotus. “Dany Bahar (the CEO of the Lotus Group) did us a favor,” commented Tony Fernandes. “I have never felt more confident in our future and that of Team Lotus. It looks like they want to steal the idea of ​​black and gold from us. »

Mike Gascoyne took the same tone to respond to the announcement which thwarts Tony Fernandes' plans. “Lotus is like coaches, you wait for one for decades and then two arrive at the same time. Rest assured, we are Team Lotus and we intend to remain so,” reaffirmed the technical director of the Malaysian team loud and clear. " We are in F1 to design, build and race Team Lotus F1 cars from our factory in Norfolk, and in the future to win, remember that. »

If the reactions of the two men from Lotus Racing seem to be taken with detachment, this is not the case. The Malaysian team has invested a lot in this project, Tony Fernandes' objectives now seeming to have become unachievable. “Congratulations to Tony Fernandes, Forbes? Asian Businessman of the Year,” said Mike Gascoyne. “How much do you want to bet that no one from Proton has ever won this title!” »