A number of people do not think that Lotus should be celebrating the celebrated marque’s 500th Grand Prix, arguing that Lotus racing has got nothing to do with the old Team Lotus and that it is just a piece of brand engineering. That is a matter of opinion, but I’ll explain why I think it is justified. It is all down to one man: Tony Fernandes. OK, so he is a Malaysian, but he is a very British Malaysian. Tony had been an F1 fan since his childhood and he understands the significance of the Lotus name, not just its marketing value.
“Lotus is a British brand and that will never change,” he says. “It’s just Malaysian finance. We think that makes sense. We wanted to break new ground in F1, open up the sport to a whole new audience, geographically and demographically, and, by being lean, hungry, innovative and passionate, achieve something incredible that would inspire people around the world to follow their own dreams.”
Tony dared to dream that Lotus could be revived, something which David Hunt failed to achieve in 15 years of trying, despite a decent track record of raising money in his racing days with Acorn Computers and Cellnet. Hunt was the first man to bring a mobile phone company into the sport. Fernandes managed to put the whole thing together with Malaysian money and in league with Proton, the owner of Lotus Cars – which granted him the right to use the Lotus Racing name. Racing purists may argue that it is not really Team Lotus, but Fernandes is intent on changing that view. The car is green and yellow. The team is based in Norfolk, not far from the old Lotus headquarters, and the chassis designation is T127, the next Lotus type number. I am told that he even tried to buy Ketteringham Hall, the old home of Team Lotus (below).
This is owned by the Chapman Family and has been divided into business units which are leased to companies.
Fernandes also sought out the blessing of the Chapman Family and when Colin Chapman’s son Clive asked him whether the new team’s first victory would be a first win for Lotus Racing or the 80th victory for Lotus, Tony was very clear. It would be Lotus’s 80th.
“I knew that bringing Lotus back to the grid would have an emotional pull for many fans who remember the likes of Jimmy Clark, Graham Hill, Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and all those other great champions,” Fernandes says, “but I couldn’t have dreamt that we’d see the younger fans, whose parents may have talked about the old days, embrace us so quickly. “
Perhaps most important, however, is Fernandes’s approach, which is pure Lotus.
“In every business I work with I am very lucky to work alongside clever, hard working, passionate people who inspire me, drive me forward and make me laugh! I teach them to never take no for an answer, always push and never stop dreaming.”
Good people and great passion. And that is why he is a suitable heir to the legend of Team Lotus.
joeblogsf1 
couldn’t agree more Joe.
Excuse me, I like what they do and their approach seems fine and what they have achieved on the track so far looks way more impressive than what HRT and Virgin have done (just take Heikki Kovalainen’s performance in the first free practice in Valencia today into account). But you have got a bit overwhelmed by Tony Fernandes’ PR talents here, eh?
Martin,
No, this is what I believe.
Couldn’t agree more, Joe. If Chapman’s family are happy then who is anyone else to question it?
Well said Joe, passion is everything!
I do like the way that Lotus have embraced the fans – using social media as well as the ways listed above.
I’m certainly a fan and I was skeptical at the start, but TBH, out of the three new teams, this one looks like the one that will be successful and stick around the longest…
I know people are rightly skeptical in these times of “brand engineeering” but what is Lotus, if the brand means nothing?
Colin Chapman is dead, the actual business is dead. So therefore, all there is is the brand and the idealology.
To me, the Lotus idealology is competition, design flair, out of the box thinking, lightness, tradition.
Tony is clearly competitive to his fingertips, Mike Gasgoyne will have the technical aspects covered, or will hire people that will. They are both aware and actively pushing the tradition.
The alternative is nothing. So suck it up people, and embrace what there people are trying to do! I, for one, applaud their sheer effort and positivity – to be negative about it is a very British quality, and one which tramples more motivated souls than anything else bar the recession!
Honestly you must be joking. David Hunt is (or was) the rightful owner of Team Lotus. Tony Fernandes is not!
Had Litespeed GP got the entry than that would be the continuing of Team Lotus, because they had the right to use that name (or bought it, I am not sure). They didn’t get the entry so Gascoyne jumped ship and joined forces with Fernandes to get an F1 team on the grid under a Lotus name to promote Lotus Cars which separated from the F1 team a long time ago, even before David Hunt bought the team.
The use of the Lotus name and colours is pure PR, nothing else! In my humble opinion Lotus Racing has nothing to do with the legendary Team Lotus and everything that suggests otherwise is not justified!
They had to choose another name because they couldn’t use Team Lotus. It wasn’t theirs.
Sasquatsch,
I am sure that Tony Fernandes has tried to acquire the Team Lotus name from David. I wonder why there has been no deal? Could it be that David has an inflated idea of what the name is worth? Incidentally, Nino Judge of Litespeed is a shareholder in Lotus Racing, so he is involved with Tony Fernandes.
The Lotus rebirth is great news. It’s nice to see the sport’s heritage valued. If only Bernie would do the same.
I couldn’t agree more Joe, they’ve done a sterling job and shown great respect for the heritage.
Just because you believe it doesn’t mean Tony Fernandes’ PR talents haven’t influenced that belief, Joe!
But in the main I agree, and when all is said and done, what other than the reincarnation of Colin Chapman, or at least Gerard Ducarouge and Ayrton Senna would have satisfied the moaners that this is ‘the real Lotus’? The key thing is that Fernandes and the team have been quite honest and respectful of the heritage of the name and the brand. I was a bit sceptical about it all when it was announced although it was clear that they by far had the most convincing technical and commercial set up of all the new teams. Some elements, like the .my end to the web address jar a little, but hey, we can’t have it all.
Anyway, arguably the direct link between the F1 team and the road car company makes them more “Lotus” than ‘Team Lotus’ were back in the 1990s!
And if you had to pick a current Technical Director to represent Colin Chapman’s engineering spirit, I think Rottie is a pretty good choice…
I just wish Proton would let them use the CCAB badge — it doesn’t seem right that it can appear on the Dallara-Honda in the American series, but not on the actual F1 Lotus machines.
Forgive me Joe but I am a bit confused at what exactly you DO believe! At the very beginning you say that people say that this ISN’T Lotus 500 “is justified” but then spend the rest of the article praising Tony Fernandes and the current operation. Which is it?
On balance I reckon your right to believe.
Yes Frenandes is a businessman.
Yes Frenandes is Team Lotus thro and thro, he did it because he loves Lotus.It could have been called anything but Fernandes wanted resurect Team Lotus.
Great Fella, Great team, Great asset for F1.
Are you ever wrong Mr Saward? Bet the other half thinks so and often!!
Cheers Andy
And furthermore I think that the current Lotus guise is much more worthy of using the name than the last few years of the old team sinking into obscurity
If Chunkeys wife says it’s Lotus it us, after all she loaned him the £50 to set up the company. By the way how are these Gps counted ? Ferrari 800 ( does this include Surtees winning the WC in america, entered by NART) Lotus 500 ( does this include Monza 70? 56b entered by World Wide Racing) that’s the trouble with facts they are open to debate.
Publicity stunt — nothing to do with the tradition of Lotus; in the end, it will devalue the name
I agree with Joe.
The Mercedes cars are still Mercedes, even though they have very little to do with the original Mercedes. Toyotas were built and HQd in Germany, not Japan, but no one said that they weren’t Toyotas, BMW bought a Swiss team (then sold it again) and they were still BMWs. No one said that Hondas weren’t the same as the Hondas of old etc, etc.
Ah, I see now. The CABC badge for use in association with road cars is owned by Group Lotus, but the CABC badge for use in association with F1 (as well as the TEAM LOTUS trade-mark) are owned by Team Lotus Ventures Limited, which I presume is David Hunt’s company. So the reason Proton can’t licence the CABC badge to the current team is that they don’t own it as it relates to F1.
Messy. Hopefully some agreement can be reached between Hunt and the team. Norfolk-based, with the Chapmans on board and the blessing of Lotus Cars — Lotus Racing _are_ the successors to Team Lotus, for my money, and it seems only right that the name and badge be restored to them as well.
Fernandes just about paid for the brand rights which are owned by Proton, and that should be enough. Much of the rest is nice PR. I guess anyone can pay Alfa Romeo, or Maserati, or Bentley some money and revive the oldest brands of motosport. The business desicion is whether the investment in the name will yield sufficiently higher sponsorship revenues to more than pay for itself.
As for the “spirit” of Lotus, it is a bit flim-flam. I should think that every F1 team should be able to make the same case, or better, given that they all strive for innovation and performance. Lotus was, after all, a true pioneer in almost all aspects – business and sporting – and their success is going to be extremely hard to emulate.
All I want, is a back-marker to race up with the rest of them, and stop blowing hard as to how they spent a fortune acquiring a famous name.
You may have the heart of Chapman, and the balls of Team Lotus, but think about this,life was differeent for entrants then. Some people even cared for DNPQ.
I find it sick to argue the differences as to a “brand” which is really a highly personal legacy. +1 fo airing he debate, – a lot more for bothering.
Good to see so many agreeing with Joe. I’ve been saying this all along (for what little that’s worth). The original Litespeed proposal might have smacked of cashing in on the name, but Fernandes definitely means it, and the team seems more and more “real” Lotus every time you look (I agree about the monogram, though; they used it in early publicity shots, but it seemed to disappear around the time of the car launch).
I’ll be amazed if the move to Malaysia that was talked about in the early days ever goes ahead now. I take it that’s pretty much your impression too, Joe?
I understand aspects of both sides of the divide… and I’m not sure which I think holds more weight…. i
But does it even matter? Sure they are not the same organization as the old Team Lotus… but they are the racing team of the road-car company…. which is exactly how Lotus Racing started out…
I mean, no one argues whether the Brawn run team from Brackley is the same organization as the one run by Neubauer with drivers named Fangio and Moss… But it’s still the Mercedes team, and any victory they may get will not be their “first”… it will be their 200th (or whatever)
As a Lotus “fan” since I was 6 [1962 !!! when I watched Jim Clark win at Snetterton], I am happy to accept the new team, especially as they, in turn, have embraced the name’s heritage. Good luck to them.
Absolutely agree and this is what I am telling to our TV viewers for some time… Tony is incredible guy!
I agree with Joe. I see this team as continuing what the original team did and I don’t think anyone should underestimate Tony Fernandes.
So far as I can see though, David Hunt has done nothing except ask for too much money for the name. He’s failed to get a team up and running. So to my mind the only surviving part of Colin Chapmans legacy is the road car company and they’re backing this new effort. Therefore Lotus Racing deserve to be seen as the real deal.
No one has mentioned Pacific Team Lotus though. I wonder why… 😉
I do not know what TF is like as a person, but he certainly comes across on the tube as a very likeable guy, and he had the “balls” and money to start and run a race team. (More than you can say for USF1, only 90 miles down the road from my house) Good on Tony and Lotus!!!!!!!
In fairness, I do like the way the new Lotus have set themselves up. They are the best new team without question, they’ve set up brilliantly. I think Tony Fernandes is a likeable chap, they’ve brought in Mike Gascoyne who is capable as well. The future is bright for them and right now its looking very good.
But, for me, the 500th race will come 25 years or so into the future.
For me, Tony Fernandes has just used the name of Lotus to get an entry into F1. Fair play he wasn’t the only person who tried it and he did in the end have a credible entry. To me, the team only share the name and colours.
It is a Malaysian team, backed by the Malaysian people and I do believe considers its home race to be Malaysia too? I think that will need clarifying up. Old Lotus seemed to be a British team through and through.
Really, its a different company I find, just because they make Lotus Cars being able to call themselves that. I know the Chapmans seem to recognise the team and all that but I wonder if its only because of the name.
Even if, they are the best new team and probably will be the first to score points too, unless some fluke happens…
Joe,
I respect your opinion, although I still think it’s a separate team, because the rights to “Team Lotus” are with someone else. I understand that Nino was a former Lotus engineer though. So maybe it’s not only PR, but a genuine effort to live up to the heritage of Team Lotus.
It’s not the same as Mercedes, though. It is a new team but has the same owner as the team 55 years ago, so can be seen as a continuation.
@FletcherB: Actually it will be only their 10th. In ’54 and ’55 they won 9 out of 12 races. 🙂
Small detail to a few people, but the badge would be ACBC for Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman.
Is it the “real” Lotus? Well it’s no worse than Lotus in its final configuration where it meandered around the back of the grid before finally running out of money. It was only the quality of their final drivers that got them any reasonable results in their last few seasons (ok, maybe not Adams).
For those that suggest it’s not Lotus because there’s no Chapman, I point out Ferrari without Enzo and owned by FIAT. I point out Sauber who was bought out by BMW and then took back over the team – is it really the same (no, it’s not the same as Lotus but it is a change)? I point out Force India – are they the same team as Jordan? And finally I point out McLaren – for starters, there’s no McLaren in charge or nearby but mostly I point out that they were bought out by Ron Dennis’ company who decided to keep the McLaren name when they could have easily changed it.
The branding is Lotus, they have the permission of Lotus Cars and if they hang about for a few more years, no one will question whether they are Lotus or not.