Team Lotus abandons black and gold

If confusion already reigns due to the presence of the name Lotus in the name of two teams, the livery of the cars of the two teams will make it easy to distinguish them. Indeed, Team Lotus (formerly Lotus Racing) has chosen to keep its decoration in green and yellow, in opposition to Lotus Renault GP, who opted for black and gold.

This livery was first chosen by Team Lotus, in order to reconnect with the glorious past of the legendary Lotus team founded by Colin Chapman. Lotus had indeed worn these colors in the 80s, due to a partnership with JPS (John Player Special), a brand of cigarettes whose colors are black and gold.

But the confusion increased when Group Lotus (Proton) formalized its entry into the Renault team. F1 Team, now Lotus Renault GP. The latter then made its livery official at the same time, sporting black and gold and overtaking Team Lotus.

The latter decided not to add any more by returning to the green and yellow that she wore this season. “After a long reflection, the shareholders, Riad (Asmat) and Mike (Gascoyne) decided that we would keep the green and yellow,” said Tony Fernandes, boss of Team Lotus. “It would be stupid to have four cars in black and gold. Given that Formula 1 is going green (reference to the 2013 engine specification), it's better to be green. »

The Malaysian team has therefore simplified things: if two teams are expected to bear the Lotus name in 2011, there will not be four single-seaters in black and gold.