The car naming quandary that has Formula One fans sometimes wondering which Lotus is which may be coming to an end.
That's because Team Lotus Enterprise announced the purchase of British sportscar maker Caterham Cars this week, something which could lead to the end of the two Lotus named teams on the F1 grid.
The series found itself in the unenviable position of having two Lotus-branded teams after a row over the rights to the famed banner spilled into the pitlane.
One of the new outfits that entered F1 last season, Lotus Racing, had the name first but was joined in the paddock this year by Lotus-Renault. The original team licensed the name from Lotus Cars, but then saw the deal end when the manufacturer’s owner Proton decided to get into F1 as a sponsor of the Renault team. Meanwhile, Lotus Racing owner Tony Fernandes was able to keep the moniker after he acquired the rights to the Team Lotus name, which his outfit now uses. Although both squads planned to race this year under the iconic back and gold colour scheme made famous when the original outfit was sponsored by John Player Special cigarettes, Team Lotus switched to the historic green from the early years of the team.
That's because Team Lotus Enterprise announced the purchase of British sportscar maker Caterham Cars this week, something which could lead to the end of the two Lotus named teams on the F1 grid.
The series found itself in the unenviable position of having two Lotus-branded teams after a row over the rights to the famed banner spilled into the pitlane.
One of the new outfits that entered F1 last season, Lotus Racing, had the name first but was joined in the paddock this year by Lotus-Renault. The original team licensed the name from Lotus Cars, but then saw the deal end when the manufacturer’s owner Proton decided to get into F1 as a sponsor of the Renault team. Meanwhile, Lotus Racing owner Tony Fernandes was able to keep the moniker after he acquired the rights to the Team Lotus name, which his outfit now uses. Although both squads planned to race this year under the iconic back and gold colour scheme made famous when the original outfit was sponsored by John Player Special cigarettes, Team Lotus switched to the historic green from the early years of the team.
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