Lotus Renault , or just Renault ?

[Bagwan]

Just came across an interesting advertisment in HomePower magazine .

"At Trina Solar , it's because of this shared passion for innovation that we've teamed up with the Renault F1 team , one of Formula One's most advanced teams ."

"Official sponsor of Renault F1 team" .

I don't see any Lotus there .
I guess Trina Solar doesn't see any Lotus there either .
Is the Lotus war already won ?

By the way , this is from the April/May 2011 issue .

[Mark]

Because they are Renault. Lotus is only a sponsor.

[Bagwan]

Because they are Renault. Lotus is only a sponsor.

Renault only owns a quarter of the team now , though , don't they ?

[Dr. Krogshöj]

Neither Renault nor Lotus owns any shares in the F1 team based in Enstone. It is 100 percent owned by Genii Capital. Its official team name is Lotus Renault GP. Its official constructor name is Renault. End of story. So far.

[Bagwan]

Neither Renault nor Lotus owns any shares in the F1 team based in Enstone. It is 100 percent owned by Genii Capital. Its official team name is Lotus Renault GP. Its official constructor name is Renault. End of story. So far.

The ad , itself , features a three fifths of the page picture of a full yellow and black 2010 car , which I think is a bit curious in itself , as , with the season beginning shortly , and the issue being for April/May , in season , one might think of using the colours that will run this year .

It calls itself , at the bottom of the ad , "official sponsor of the Renault F1 team" .

That's not an official name , then , and the Renault F1 team no longer exists .
And , Genii Capitol is nowhere to be seen , either .

This seems to me to be a sponsor deliberately avoiding the Lotus issue , by pointedly avoiding the official team name .

And , that seems a bit weird , unless it's a vote on the outcome of the upcoming hearings , in a way .
If you lose the bet on which design is most likely , you need to redesign the ad , to depict your logo on the current car .

If Genii loses the bet on a pseudo JPS Lotus black car , it looks like Trina Solar thinks they will revert to the yellow and black Renault paint scheme of recent times .
And , they may be right , as they will not , if they lose , want to essentially make tribute to the historic past of another team on the grid .

It looks like this sponsor thinks they will lose the bet .

[Dr. Krogshöj]

That, or the sponsor employs really sleazy people in the marketing department.

[Bagwan]

Now , curiously enough , I just went to the Trina Solar site , and it has a picture of the Black car .

They do have a nice shot from the mag , though , and I'm sure it could be changed in a flash .

[Bagwan]

That, or the sponsor employs really sleazy people in the marketing department.

I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about here , Dr .

Do you imply that they might know something we don't ?
And , that perhaps this has all been a marketting ploy ?

[Robinho]

if you are a sponsor, you sponsor the constructor, not the other sponsors. you don't sponsor Vodafone Mclaren or Malboro Ferrari, so why would you say you sponsored Lotus Renault. you don't want to advertise someone else in your press saying you are sponsoring something

[Bagwan]

if you are a sponsor, you sponsor the constructor, not the other sponsors. you don't sponsor Vodafone Mclaren or Malboro Ferrari, so why would you say you sponsored Lotus Renault. you don't want to advertise someone else in your press saying you are sponsoring something

Logic check .

They say they are sponsors of a team that no longer exists .
It is Lotus Renault now .

And , they did advertise someone else in thier advertising ; Renault , who , by the way don't even own a team now .


When you buy naming rights , you have spent a pile , and you spent that pile so that they all would have to use your name when they mention the team .
That's what you bought .

[Robinho]

Logic check .

They say they are sponsors of a team that no longer exists .
It is Lotus Renault now .

And , they did advertise someone else in thier advertising ; Renault , who , by the way don't even own a team now .


When you buy naming rights , you have spent a pile , and you spent that pile so that they all would have to use your name when they mention the team .
That's what you bought .

But they are entered as Renault, who are still officially the name of the Constructor (regardless of the lack of Renault actually owning the team) Lotus paid to be Title sponsor, the same as malboro, Vodafone etc etc.

You can't sponsor the team without using their name, but you don't have to talk aboutthe other sponsors. Thats the beauty of "Owning" the constructors name not just being title sponsor.

[RS]

Latest twist in the Lotus naming case: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90077

I'm getting a bit fed up of this. To me the Lotus car company own the brand "Lotus" and therefore they should have the right to use it if they want (even if they're nothing to do with the former Lotus F1 team)

I'm all for new teams coming into the sport but I wish Fernandes would try and make his own history instead of buying somebody else's.

Hoping for a swift and clear conclusion to this case!