Team Lotus retains the name "Lotus"

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Renault Logo	Lotus Renault GP Logo	Group Lotus Logo	Team Lotus Logo

Formula One followers were left with every excuse to feel confused on Friday when, after weeks of deliberation, the High Court in London ruled that two apparently different 'Lotus' teams could continue to race in the sport.

In a detailed judgment, Mr Justice Peter Smith ruled that Team Lotus had the right to race in F1 as Team Lotus - and that car manufacturer Group Lotus had the right to use the Lotus name in association with another racing team.

That meant they could continue to run in their classic black-and-gold livery with Renault, as they have done so far this year, in the Lotus Renault GP team.

The court ruled also that Team Lotus, a 'new' Anglo-Malaysian outfit created to enter F1 in 2010 as Lotus Racing, had breached a licensing agreement with Group Lotus last year.

Group Lotus announced they are seeking leave to appeal because they believe the judgement will cause confusion in the eyes of spectators and television viewers.

In a statement, Group Lotus said: "Team Lotus has the right to continue to race in Formula One under the name Team Lotus, but the effect of the judgment is that only Group Lotus can use the name 'Lotus' on its own in F1.

"Group Lotus is concerned that this aspect of the judgment will cause confusion in the eyes of spectators and the wider public.

"Accordingly, Group Lotus is seeking leave to appeal so that the right to use the Lotus brand in Formula 1 is clarified once and for all in the interests of the sport and the fans."

The statement added that Group Lotus, backed by Proton, was confident of success on appeal.

Predictably, Team Lotus also believed it had cause for satisfaction.

Team owner Tony Fernandes said: "We are all pleased that it has been clarified that we are the rightful owners of Team Lotus.

"We have always been confident that the factual evidence we presented would lead to this decision and today's judgment confirms that belief.

"We are of course disappointed about the decision that Group Lotus was entitled to end the licence agreement in 2010.

"We entered into that contract on the basis that we were beginning a long-term partnership with Group Lotus, but unfortunately they then used technical breaches of the merchandising pre-notification process to bring the licence and our partnership to an end.

"However, my fellow shareholders and I are firm believers that when one door closes another door opens.

"In the early days of our agreement, we realised its termination was inevitable and as events have unfolded the end of the licence has proved positive for us -- with many new avenues opened up as a result."

Divorced from Group Lotus, Team Lotus has formed a recent new partnership with Caterham Cars.

Fernandes said: "We wanted a long-term relationship with Group Lotus to help them sell more cars around the world, but that door closed and now we are delighted that we can turn our attention to ensuring success for Caterham Cars on the road and Team Lotus on track."

Mr Justice Peter Smith ruled that Team Lotus had to pay damages to Group Lotus for the breach of their licensing agreement.

Lotus Racing changed its name to Team Lotus for the 2011 season in which it has declared it expects to make progress and establish itself among the mid-field runners, leaving fellow 'new' 2010 arrivals Hispania Racing and Virgin behind.

This year, however, like both Hispania and Virgin, Team Lotus has yet score a point while Lotus Renault has 50 points.

Team Lotus drivers are Finn Heikki Kovalainen and Italian Jarno Trulli.

The Lotus Renault GP drivers are Russian Vitaly Petrov and German Nick Heidfeld.

According to the judgement, it appears that the common practice of referring to Team Lotus as Lotus, in a second reference, and Lotus Renault, as Renault, may have to end.

Pirelli MotorSport Director, Paul Hembery, speak out about red flag rules

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Formula One should change the rules to prevent drivers being allowed to put fresh tyres on their cars if a race is halted like Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix, Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery has suggested.

Fans watching the glamour highlight of the season were robbed of a thrilling finale when the race was red flagged with six laps remaining and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel hotly pursued by Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and McLaren's Jenson Button.

When it resumed 21 minutes later, Vettel had new tyres and led comfortably to the chequered flag.


"I can understand there is a safety consideration but I am thinking about it more from a fans' perspective to be honest," Hembery told .

"I've had a lot of people shout at me from the boats around the harbour and say, why were they allowed to change? It took away something from the race -- and the big question was could they (the tyres) have lasted?

"That is what we were all asking with six laps to go and that was going to be the excitement: would Sebastian hit the cliff (of tyre degradation)?"

Hembery said the race distance remained unchanged and, like the fans, was disappointed with the finale.

"I don't really understand why they are allowed to change tyres, but maybe I am missing something," he said.

"I think it was a bit of a shame with the red flag of course, because if they hadn't changed the tyres, then they would have had to fight to the end as they were all on different strategies, and the tyre wear and life was very different."

Kubica could return in F1 Seat for 2011

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Robert Kubica's manager, Daniele Morelli, has contradicted the owner of the Renault F1 team by insisting that his driver could race again this season.

Speaking at the Monaco Grand Prix, Daniele Morelli said the Pole was making good progress in his recovery from a rally accident and that they would have a clearer picture in August about his comeback.

However, he also said that Gerard Lopez, whose Genii Capital owns the Lotus-backed team, was wrong in writing off Kubica's chances for the 2011 season.

Speaking to Spanish radio last week. Lopez said he thought that Kubica would not be making a comeback this year, although he could get a run during a Friday practice session.

"I think you have to ask Lopez why he made such a statement that is in clear opposition to what the specialists are saying," Morelli said.

"All the doctors, not only ours... are not writing off Robert for this season. I think that Lopez's statement is incorrect.

"Robert when he will be back, he will be back for racing and there will be no need to make a control of his capability in a Friday session.

"If Robert is sufficiently fit to drive a Formula One car for one lap he can do it for a whole weekend."

Indian Grand Prix could be moved to December 11 or cancelled

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Decision on Bahrain Grand Prix rescheduling will take place by the World Motor Sport Council on Friday in Barcelona which could reinstate it for later this year.

If the Bahrain GP is reinstated

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is believed to be considering 20 November, the week after the Abu Dhabi GP, which could mean the season-ending race in Brazil, scheduled for 27 November, is moved back by a week.

Ecclestone is also considering moving the Indian GP back to 11 December - or cancelling it - in order to accommodate the return of the Bahrain race to the calendar.

Bernie is trying to move Delhi to free up October 30 for Bahrain. The problem with the previously suggested date of December 4 is that it is regarded as almost impossible to get F1’s infrastructure into India from the Brazilian GP on November 27, a distance of almost 10,000 miles, in just three days.

The FIA's end of year meetings - including the F1 prizegiving involving the top three drivers - is due to take place in Delhi the week before the proposed new date.



However, F1 Teams are united against shift of Finale to December, according to Mercedes GP Team Principal Ross Brawn.

Speaking to motor sports website autosport.com Brawn said that shifting the Indian Grand Prix from October 30 to either December 4 or December 11 would create logistical problems for team members of all the teams.

"It is getting too much," said Brawn. "Our guys have been working since January, we don't have test teams anymore, so the same guys have been working since January and we are asking them to work into December and that means there is no time for a holiday before Christmas and that would mean getting straight back in to it in January.

Monaco “The Tricky Place” require changes to the run-off at the end of the tunnel

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Nico Rosberg and Sergio Perez both had high speed crashes after losing control under braking for the corner, raising serious concerns about the barrier that in the past also injured Jenson Button (2003) and Karl Wendlinger (1994).

Asked why the situation seemed worse this year, British commentator Eddie Jordan told the German newspaper Welt: “It’s probably a combination of things.

“The new aerodynamics, the tyres, the asphalt. It’s always been a tricky place.

“The FIA is required to protect the driver to the best of their ability. It has done a lot since then (1994) and it’s doing its best: after Rosberg’s crash they took away the kerbs.

“The place where Perez crashed is protected with special cushioning, but it needs to be considered now what more can be done,” added Jordan.

Agreed his BBC colleague Martin Brundle: “I’m sure they will need to make changes yet again to the tunnel exit chicane run off area, but Monaco will remain one of the greatest sporting challenges.

“And that means it will remain dangerous too,” he said.

It is believed the reaction for 2012 will be the further moving back of the barrier.

“It’s a tricky corner and it’s an area where it’s very difficult to do anything about in terms of safety because it is what it is,” said Button.

“It’s Monaco, a street circuit, but I still think we need to look further as to what we can do with the run off there.”
Jordan said the danger at Monaco needs to be weighed against its unique place on the calendar.

“I know a lot of cynics in the paddock,” he said. “Monte Carlo is one of the old tracks but that myth is part of our show.

“As long as there isn’t a catastrophe, it will keep going.”

Bahrain Martial Law ends, boost talks for Bahrain GP

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Bahrain lifted martial law on Wednesday in what the government hopes will be a sign to tourists and business of a return to normal.

The authorities are especially keen to get back the Formula One race. Bahrain GP was the season opener that was canceled due to the unrest during March. Since then, Speculation for the return of Bahrain GP to the F1 Calendar have risen continuously.

A meeting of the World Motor Sport Council will take place on Friday in Barcelona which could reinstate it for later this year, but U.S.-based Human Rights Watch has said a heavy crackdown on opposition activists during 11 weeks of martial law should count in the decision.

Zayed Rashid Al Zayani, chairman of the Bahrain International Circuit which holds the Bahrain Grand Prix, said that the Gulf country was ready to "hold the race today." Al Zayani said he was hopeful it will be held in October or November to coincide with the Abu Dhabi GP on November 13.

It was the first time Bahrain has formally said its Bahrain Motor Federation has proposed rescheduling the March race. "We feel we are in position to have that event back," Al Zayani said. "Things have calmed down tremendously in Bahrain. Life is back to normal. We are happy to have the race anytime really."

In Paris, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said yesterday that he was hopeful that the Bahrain GP would be reinstated on this year's calendar. "If there's peace there and they're happy, we're happy to compromise and make things happen for them," Ecclestone said.



If the Bahrain GP is reinstated

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is believed to be considering 20 November, the week after the Abu Dhabi GP, which could mean the season-ending race in Brazil, scheduled for 27 November, is moved back by a week.

Ecclestone is considering moving the Indian GP back to 11 December - or cancelling it - in order to accommodate the return of the Bahrain race to the calendar.



However, F1 Teams are united against shift of Finale to December, according to Mercedes GP Team Principal Ross Brawn.

Speaking to motor sports website autosport.com Brawn said that shifting the Indian Grand Prix from October 30 to either December 4 or December 11 would create logistical problems for team members of all the teams.

"It is getting too much," said Brawn. "Our guys have been working since January, we don't have test teams anymore, so the same guys have been working since January and we are asking them to work into December and that means there is no time for a holiday before Christmas and that would mean getting straight back in to it in January.
Bahrain Martial Law ends, boost talks for Bahrain GP

Lewis Hamilton and Monaco Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton aggressive driving style:

Lewis Hamilton is famous for his aggressive driving style. He is often hailed as one of the bravest drivers on track but more often he is reprimanded and penalized for his aggression. The same thing happened in Monaco Grand Prix.

Lewis had a bad weekend in Monaco. During qualifying, he was fastest in Q1 and Q2 but during Q3, Sergio Perez accident caused his flying lap and lateron with only 2min remaining on the clock, he failed to put a fast lap. Moreover, he cut the chicane and his time was removed by the stewards which dropped him from 7th to 9th on the grid position.

During the race, he was involved in many incidents. Incident with Massa and Maldonado showed the professional Lewis, how eager he is to make a move on those two and both ended out of the race due to Hamilton.

Hamilton was penalized by the stewards and drive through penalty was awarded to him on both the occasions.



He has been called by the stewards five times in six races.



Lewis Hamilton threatened to quit F1 if he was forced to change his racing style.

"I'd quit Formula One before changing my racing style"

Hamilton said: "I will never stop racing the way I do. That's what got me here.

"If it ever comes to a stage where I had to pull back and drive for fourth or fifth that would not excite me. I probably wouldn't stay around for that."

After seeing the stewards following the Monaco Grand Prix, Hamilton told BBC television he had been called before them five times in six races and described it as "a 'frickin joke'", adding he felt he was picked on regularly "...maybe, because I am black!" Isn't that what Ali G says?"

He later saw the stewards again to apologise and explain his remarks were delivered in the heat of the moment during a post-race rant when his emotions ran away with him. He said his hint at racism was a badly-chosen joke.

Scottish Le Mans driver Allan McNish was on the Stewards' Panel that dealt with Hamilton on Sunday.

He couldn't divulge details but revealed the Brit had 'made peace' over the 'Ali G' jibe, which to many was seen as attempt by Hamilton to play the race card.

McNish said: "Things can boil over and that's part of a driver's make-up."



Lewis Hamilton apologised for criticising fellow drivers Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado after colliding with both men during last weekend's incident-packed Monaco Grand Prix.

Hamilton blasted the stewards in comments he later retracted and slammed Massa and Maldonado as "ridiculous".

Fellow drivers Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonaldo were furious at Hamilton's aggressive driving style in Monaco but the Brit has no intention of changing.

British motor racing great Sir Jackie Stewart told Hamilton on Monday to accept the stewards' criticisms.

"When you are a driver, you don't see it from the other side. They get all the angles," said Stewart, three-times a Formula One world champion.

"They get the videos and they can sit up there and get all the replays. So they analyse it even better than the man in the cockpit."