Dany Bahar files a complaint against Lotus

Dany Bahar held the position of CEO of Group Lotus between September 2009 and June 2012. He was notably responsible for the company’s numerous investments in various motorsport categories (Formula 1, GP2, GP3, endurance racing, IndyCar, World Series by Renault…), which today prove to be far too significant for the finances of the modest manufacturer, now owned by the Malaysian group DRB-Hicom.

That is why Group Lotus released the following statement on May 25: « Following numerous questions from the media, Group Lotus plc can today confirm that CEO Dany Bahar has been temporarily suspended from his role to facilitate an investigation related to a complaint about his behavior, filed by Lotus’ parent company, DRB-HICOM Berhad. » This investigation resulted in the immediate dismissal of the businessman on June 7.

Nevertheless, this all-out development strategy was merely a reproduction of the strategy he had implemented as head of operations at Red Bull between 2003 and 2007. At the time, he led the massive entry into Formula 1 (through the purchase of teams that became Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso) and Nascar. This strategy was more successful than at Lotus, whose finances could not support such expansion. That’s why Lotus is no longer the sponsor of the team that still bears its name, Lotus F1 Team. This situation will only change when Genii Capital finds a new title sponsor.

Group Lotus responded to Dany Bahar’s lawsuit claiming 8.5 million euros in damages by stating: « Following the advice of their lawyers, DRB-Hicom and Lotus will vigorously fight Bahar’s lawsuit, including filing counterclaims against Bahar. We will make the necessary announcements as appropriate. The lawsuit should not have a significant financial or operational impact on the group. The exact amount of costs related to this lawsuit cannot be determined at this time. »

With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr