Virgin could also change its name
Lotus Renault Grand Prix and Team Lotus should change their names by the end of the year to avoid having two Lotus teams in Formula 1 - LRGP could simply become Lotus and Team Lotus is expected to become Caterham. A third team, Marussia Virgin Racing, might also change its name.
Virgin Racing made its debut in Formula 1 in 2010, and at the end of that same year, the team was partially purchased by the Russian car manufacturer Marussia and became Marussia Virgin Racing. The team is currently racing under a Russian license, which aligns with the goal of Marussia’s boss, Nikolai Fomenko, to create a Russian Formula 1 team.
Marussia’s objective is to use Formula 1 as a marketing tool to gain recognition—similar to what Infiniti is currently doing with Red Bull, for example. And what better way to achieve greater recognition worldwide than by moving away from the team’s “historic” name, Virgin.
This name change must be approved by the F1 Commission, which will meet precisely on Thursday, November 3, and in addition to the name changes of LRGP and Team Lotus, Virgin could also be authorized to change its name for the 2012 season. According to The Times, the team could simply become Marussia.
