Renault in favor of F1 team name change

Renault has backed the idea of ​​renaming the Enstone Formula 1 team that still bears its name to Lotus, ending confusion over the French manufacturer's involvement in its former team.

After the 2008 crashgate Renault decided to sell its Formula 1 team to Genii Capital and the team faced controversy with Tony Fernandes' Team Lotus when it decided to take the name Lotus Renault GP after the arrival of Group Lotus as main sponsor.

The dispute over the Lotus name seems almost resolved and the Formula 1 Commission should decide on November 3rd the change of name to Lotus for the former Renault and to Caterham for Team Lotus in view of 2012.

Jean-Francois Caubet, managing director of Renault Sport, is convinced that the changes will be approved: “We sold the team two years ago, and the strategy was not to sever all relationships with the team because, when you are a big manufacturer, you don't you can afford it,” Caubet told Autosport. “The strategy involved withdrawing step by step, and pushing on the technical collaboration front. Having the chassis name was a bit embarrassing for Renault because Genii was in control of the team, the main sponsor was Lotus and for the English press the team was still Renault! We didn't push too hard to change the name, we asked Bernie to help us, and Lotus will be a good fit."

“We will supply the engines and keep pushing because we need a strong second team to push Red Bull. We don't want to leave Red Bull alone, with two teams you can make continuous comparisons. It is very important to have internal competition. So even though the relationships will be different and the team will be a customer, they will still be a very important customer for us.”