Official announcement of the acquisition of Caterham by Team Lotus
The gathering at the Imperial War Museum organized by Team Lotus has thus confirmed what we announced last week: Tony Fernandes' team has acquired the car manufacturer Caterham, which could pave the way for a name change while the verdict of the trial with Group Lotus has not yet been delivered.
If the announcement was therefore not a surprise for our loyal readers, the content of the press release is a bit more so. Indeed, it is stated that the holding company Team Lotus Enterprise has acquired the British manufacturer. Among the activities of this holding, we naturally find the Formula 1 team and its merchandising service but also the EQ8 energy drink, which holds a prominent place on the radiators of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen.
Acquisition by Team Lotus Enterprise
We understand a little more about what Tony Fernandes meant when he indicated that the legal battle with Group Lotus cost him sponsors. It is therefore evident that the team does not have any sponsors outside the galaxy of companies controlled by the Malaysian businessman since, in addition to EQ8, we also find AirAsia and Naza, which he owns. The presence of Dell on the rear wings is related to the extension of the PC manufacturer’s supplier relationship with the team.
But what is even more surprising is that Team Lotus Enterprise plans to establish itself as a global platform for other diversifications by leveraging its skills, innovation, and accessibility. While it is reasonable to think that the team acquired a manufacturer that only builds the direct heir of the Lotus Seven to solve its naming problem, it is astonishing that it was Team Lotus Enterprise that made the acquisition and not 1Malaysia, which is the original name of the structure.
Équipe Lotus Édition Spéciale Sept
And a little irony of history, the team now called (but for how much longer?) Team Lotus is going to execute the same strategy as with the previous manufacturer that supported it last year, namely Proton. Indeed, they had unveiled during the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix the limited edition of 25 units of the Satira Neo R3 Lotus Racing. A year later, they announce the launch of the Team Lotus Special Edition Seven, which for 3,000 pounds more, allows you to acquire a Caterham Seven in the team’s colors, which are exactly the same as last year’s! And obviously, the number of these exceptional cars is limited to… 25 units!
Now that this acquisition has been completed and made official, media rumors suggest that the team may be called Sonogol Caterham F1 in the future to honor the Angolan oil company that supports Ricardo Teixeira, who has become one of the team’s reserve drivers.
One thing is certain, the issue of naming is far from being resolved. Meanwhile, the team has yet to score a single point in 22 Formula 1 race entries.
With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr
