What a waste of valuable resources, are these two F1 team owners so flushed with money to burn that they have to have that overblown ego as a barrier between them.
I have one word for their antics these 2 Malaysian team owners fighting for the use of a foreigner's name, BODOH.
Team Lotus unperturbed by Proton's move
Published: 2010/12/09
Team Lotus owned by Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes is unperturbed by Proton's Group Lotus Plc acquiring a major stake in the French Renault F1 team, which will be renamed Lotus Renault GP.
Neither is the Team Lotus racing outfit concerned with Proton's position that it owns the rights and only it can use the Lotus brand name starting with the 2011 F1 racing season.
"For us, we continue to do what we are doing and the management's focus is to ensure Team Lotus has a competitive car next year," Riat Asmat, the chief executive officer of Team Lotus said today.
He was responding to questions posed by Bernama on the announcement yesterday that Group Lotus Plc will buy a 25 per cent equity stake in the Renault F1 team from Luxembourg-based investment group Genii Capital.
Genii Capital owns 75 per cent of Renault F1 team.
Proton officials, responding to yesterday's announcement, had also commented on the collaboration with 1MRT, owners of the Lotus Racing team which is now known as Team Lotus.
They said the tie-up with 1MRT did not bear the desired results.
They had also said that 1MRT was "seeking to obtain the rights to use the name Team Lotus with the intention of using the name in the 2011 F1 season in contravention of the "Lotus Racing" License Agreement."
To claims by Proton that only it owns the Lotus brand name and suggestions in news reports that there could only be one team on the F1 grid that can use the Lotus brand name, Riat said: "Did anyone have any specific guidelines (about who can use the Lotus name)...I am not aware of that."
To reports that Proton as the parent company of Group Lotus owns the brand name Lotus, he said, "Oh, they said they own the name, well we own the name Team Lotus (and) that is why we are racing as Team Lotus.
"I am sure Lotus cars are theirs and I am sure they have rights for that one (but) we are not Lotus, we are Team Lotus," he said.
Asked whether there was a difference between Lotus and Team Lotus, he said: "Yes, there is a big difference in terms of ownership.
Team Lotus is in view of what was the racing heritage, which basically was the racing division of Colin Chapman's business before. We don't build cars. We race (and) that''s it.
"We have a (race) challenge in front of us and we will compete again using the Renault engine and Red Bull gearboxes."
The courts in London are expected to decide on the suit brought by Proton on the rights to use the Lotus name.
"I think that will be fair to everyone and the courts will explain everything to everyone," said Riat. -- Bernama
I think, One good Malaysian owned team with one competitive car type and engine will take Malaysia's name to greater heights on the F1 circuits rather than being made infamous in a foreign court of law fighting for the use of a foreign name.
Ego is a very expensive item to flaunt around. Better to use the spare cash to help the needy then feed the ego guys.
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