Sonangal Caterham Formula 1 Team

[Ranger]

Team Lotus buy Caterham, team re-naming looks all but assured.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90955

http://www.caterhamformula1.com/

Edit: Mods move this post if need be, cheers.

[ArrowsFA1]

I guess you could say that Tony Fernandes almost 'did a Caterham' when he revivied Team Lotus in that Caterham took what had been a Lotus and made it their own.

It's an interesting link up and it gives TL the option of re-naming should they need to.

It does, however, muddy the waters further where the Lotus name in F1 is concerned.

[Mark]

I guess you could say that Tony Fernandes almost 'did a Caterham' when he revivied Team Lotus in that Caterham took what had been a Lotus and made it their own..

Indeed, my Dad always referred to a "Lotus 7" whenever he saw one on the road.

[RS]

Good. Now that Fernandez & Co have actually bought Caterham perhaps they can stop pretending to be Lotus... Or are we heading for "Caterham Lotus Renault" to rival "Lotus Lada Renault"

[CNR]

would teamlotus have more right to use lotus then lotus cars has to use lotus ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Seven

In 1973, Lotus decided to shed fully its "British tax system"-inspired kit car image and concentrate on limited series motor racing cars. As part of this plan, it sold the rights to the Seven to its only remaining agents Caterham Cars. After a brief period producing the Series 4, including assembly of the last "kits" supplied by Lotus, Caterham introduced their version of the Series 3, and have been manufacturing and refining this car ever since as the Caterham Seven.

[Ranger]

Also interesting is that the main sponsor on this (http://www.caterhamformula1.com/) webpage, Sonangol, has bankrolled the entire career of Team Lotus' reserve driver, Ricardo Teixeira.

After looking at a career breakdown, I hope he doesn't get promoted to a race seat.

[UltimateDanGTR]

http://www.caterhamformula1.com/



Are you sure that is an official website? TF has stated that he plans to have both Lotus and Caterham in F1 and that he will wait for the court verdict before any name change on autosport. Seems strange.

[Ranger]

Are you sure that is an official website? TF has stated that he plans to have both Lotus and Caterham in F1 and that he will wait for the court verdict before any name change on autosport. Seems strange.

Indeed that website isn't official. Maybe they are just securing a domain name just in case the 'Team Lotus' name blows up in their face:

http://thef1times.com/news/display/03170

The F1 Times along with Peter Allen can reveal that several domain names including the Sonangol name, as well as the Caterham brand have been registered using the same company behind the teams current domain, teamlotus.co.uk.

Net Names, a company which specialises in acquiring domain names for clients, was hired by Team Lotus in 2010 to gain control of teamlotus.co.uk - they also acquired several names, listed below, on April 19th of this year, just days after Tony Fernandes was named as director of Caterham Cars, according to documents from Companies House.

Sonangolcaterham.com; Sonangolcaterhamf1.com and Sonangolcaterhamteamlotus.com, among others, were registered by Net Names, likely confirming news that Team Lotus will rebrand to include the new title sponsor and the Caterham cars brand in some form or another.

[nigelred5]

They're not wasting any time associating the company with the F1 team. you may have to wait a few seconds, but they have pics of hte Team lotus F1 car alongside a Caterham 7

http://www.caterham.co.uk/

[CNR]

http://en.espnf1.com/lotus/motorsport/story/46803.html

documents show that Mr Anthony Francis Fernandes was appointed as a director of Caterham Cars Group Limited on April 12.

may have been top secret for some time before

[UltimateDanGTR]

http://en.espnf1.com/lotus/motorsport/story/46803.html


may have been top secret for some time before

Indeed negotiations started in december, the deal was made in April.


on anoher note, I found this quote from TF rather interesting: 'Look, I am not going to be like other people who talk about five models and I will make this sort of car and be better than all the other car companies. We always wanted to be a car manufacturer, but we never told any of you that. We just went out and did it – and then announced it. So I would rather do it, and then talk about it.' Take note, Danny Bahar.

[ArrowsFA1]

The problem is we still have another team pretending to be Lotus on the grid too. Its amusing however that they are still referred to as Renault IMO. :)
It is all rather a mucking fuddle isn't it :p :

[BDunnell]

Indeed negotiations started in december, the deal was made in April.


on anoher note, I found this quote from TF rather interesting: 'Look, I am not going to be like other people who talk about five models and I will make this sort of car and be better than all the other car companies. We always wanted to be a car manufacturer, but we never told any of you that. We just went out and did it – and then announced it. So I would rather do it, and then talk about it.' Take note, Danny Bahar.

Perhaps, but what exactly have they 'gone out and done' except bought an existing company?

[UltimateDanGTR]

Perhaps, but what exactly have they 'gone out and done' except bought an existing company?

Set up a competent Formula One team, in a very short period of time before the start of last season lest we not forget.

[Dave B]

Set up a competent Formula One team, in a very short period of time before the start of last season lest we not forget.

I've said before that I'm very impressed with Lotus. They've quickly established themselves as a credible team, with a solid technical and driving lineup, no rash promises, sensible budgets and good media interaction. Of the three newbies they're the only ones I'd bet on still being around in five years time.

[BDunnell]

Set up a competent Formula One team, in a very short period of time before the start of last season lest we not forget.

I meant in terms of road car manufacturing. Completely agree with you about the F1 team.

[UltimateDanGTR]

I meant in terms of road car manufacturing. Completely agree with you about the F1 team.

well in those terms then no they have never done that before, but they are now going to go into that industry. The point that I was trying to make was that instead of announcing 'we intend to buy caterham' and actually attempt to do it with the possibility of failure (as one would expect Bahar to) they have actually done it, then announced it.