Renault-Lotus negotiation: Ghosn ready to raise the offer

Despite a long negotiation that has been going on for months now, Lotus and Renault have not yet managed to reach an agreement for the sale of the Enstone base starting from next season.

The transalpine manufacturer is ready to terminate its contract with Red Bull and Toro Rosso for the next championship, but at the moment, considering the many difficulties that Carlos Ghosn is encountering for the acquisition of the base which was official until the 2011 season, the The situation in Paris is very blocked. Renault wants to remain within the Circus, but on its own terms and therefore the figure of Ecclestone's CVC in this maxi negotiation should not be underestimated. Returning for a moment to the Lotus/Renault discussion, the French company has decided to present a new offer to Gerard Lopez for the acquisition of 70% of the entire team.

It should be noted that Carlos Ghosn's first offer was close to £100 million and included 65% of the team's shares. Renault is ready to revise this first offer with a figure above 100 million, while raising Lotus's shareholdings by 5%. The real problem of the negotiation, however, lies in the role of the CVC, given that the company that manages the entire Formula One Circus does not want to pay the prizes obtained by Lotus during this championship (Lotus would change its name to Renault in 2016). A very complex situation which is slowing down the French manufacturer's planning for the next season.

We just have to wait and see when this complex negotiation will be able to find its conclusion.

Roberto Valenti
Twitter: @RobertoVal94