Lotus vs Lotus - Proton says Tony’s demands are unreasonable

Settlement offer includes returning Team Lotus name to Group Lotus but does not prevent Tony from using it in F1, subject to terms

While 1Malaysia Racing Team (1MRT) boss Tony Fernandez told AFP that the GBP6 million offer Group Lotus made for the Team Lotus name was too small, the other side says that it is fair compensation for the purchase price of Team Lotus Ventures, the company that allegedly had the rights to the name.

In a statement, Group Lotus parent company, Proton Holdings Berhad said that for all intents and purposes, 1MRT cannot now demand for Group Lotus to compensate them for a problem, which they got themselves into.



“1MRT entered into a relationship with Team Lotus Ventures with full prior knowledge that Group Lotus are already in a long standing legal dispute with Team Lotus Ventures.

Group Lotus and Proton have always held the view that this matter should be resolved as soon as possible in the interests of Formula 1 and the fans. Thus, we remain open to reasonable and justified proposals.

According to Proton, in November 2010, 1MRT proposed a settlement of between GBP22mil to GBP37mil which included the purchase of the Team Lotus name (purportedly for GBP5mil) and other indirect costs that they have incurred such as development of a new brand, loss of income from produced merchandise, loss of sponsorship etc.

“We agreed to only consider paying for the Team Lotus name subject to due diligence being conducted and not be made responsible for the indirect costs which could have been avoided by 1MRT

“Our proposed settlement sum was to settle only the purchase price, allegedly GBP 5million for the "Team Lotus" name, subject to due diligence and confirmation from 1MRT and other related parties including Team Lotus Ventures and David Hunt.

“Once settlement is agreed by both parties, the "Team Lotus" name shall unequivocally vest with Group Lotus.

“From our perspective, this is fair as 1MRT could have continued to use the "Lotus Racing" and not incur additional charges allegedly in excess of GBP30 million for the establishment of a new team.

“PROTON and Group Lotus cannot be made liable for their commercial misadventure.

Earlier in the week Fernandez told AFP that he has rejected the out of court settlement worth GBP6 million offered by Group Lotus.

“It was six million pounds for an out-of-court settlement. Of course I would like to end it but the proposal by Proton would have bankrupted the company. We could not accept it,” the AirAsia chief told AFP, adding that 250 jobs and huge investments by shareholders are at stake.

Fernandez had bought the rights to Team Lotus from David Hunt, brother of former F1 World Champion James who had bought the defunct team some 13 years ago.

The decision to purchase the team came on the tail of Proton’s decision to terminate the licensing agreement with Fernandez.

Proton had cited multiple breach of contract and refusal to cooperate as the reason for terminating the licensing agreement.

French confirm Chinese buyer behind Renault spying case

Late last Friday, French lawmaker Bernard Carayon revealed that the industrial espionage involving Renault's electric vehicle research is linked to a Chinese buyer and he said that proven, reliable and diverse' sources have confirmed this.

"There are in effect several sources that are typically thought to be serious who considers that a Chinese buyer is in fact behind the operation" who is a member of the Conservative party, like President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Renault has yet to confirm the identity of the three executives as they have to comply with local labour laws which require that their identity be veiled. However the French carmaker has confirmed that they will take legal action against the three.

Renault had indicated before that one of them is on the company's management committee, this makes the case potentially very explosive and complicated to defuse.

Renault electric research infiltrated by industrial spies

Details of what is happening is understandably hazy but wire reports say that the French carmaker has suspended without pay three executives after they learnt that details of their intellectual properties and research results may have fallen into the hands of competitors.

The company indicated that an ethical alert was sounded some time before May 1 last year and the executives were suspended after the company carried out investigations.

The company has not yet concluded whether there was actual "wrongdoing" on the part of the employees in question, though an unnamed source told Reuters the three were "caught red-handed."

Reports indicate that one of the executives may be as highly ranked as a member of Renault's management committee while the other two were believed to be managers.

It appears that the company is concerned that the leaked technology may have found its way to a new player from an emerging economy. China has made it clear that they want to be the dominant player in the electric vehicle race.

The Renault Nissan Alliance has made a big dash towards electric cars with the launch of the Nissan Leaf, the first purpose-designed all-electric vehicle from a major manufacturer.

Mitsubishi had converted one of their i compact cars into an electric vehicle and it immediately became the best selling electric car in the world.

The launch of the Leaf took the industry by surprise as Nissan had stayed well below the radar for electric car production plans and preceded those from companies such as Tesla which has been hyping their electric offerings for years.

The Financial Times estimated that Renault Nissan may have invested as much as USD5 billion into electric technology.

The Leaf has an initial production run of 20,000 vehicles, all of which have been snapped up. The Leaf is now the most popular electric car in the world

The Leaf has also earned the distinction of being the first electric car to be the official vehicle of a head of state when the President of Portugal chose it for his official transport.

Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn has frequently predicted that electric vehicles will represent 10 percent of global production by 2020, a number considered audaciously high by most industry analysts.

With annual global car production set to reach around 75 million by that time, electric cars will be a major sight if Ghosn is correct in his prediction.

Between them, Renault and Nissan plan to launch eight separate electric cars over the next four years, including Renault's Fluence ZE electric midsize sedan.

2010 Top 5 concept cars: Renault Desir

Electric cars are usually designed to look futuristic and reflect their technology and the result is usually ungainly, boxy and characteristically nerdy.

It has never been clearly explained why carmakers feel that  electric cars should look a bit odd. 

The Dezir looks like just any other cool concept car except it is powered by electric motors.

 Did you know that Renault’s entire range of cars scored perfect five in the EuroNCAP safety tests. They don’t have to look boxy to be safe, do they? Gallery after the jump

GALLERY Renault Desir

STEAMY VIDEO: Banned Lesbian Renault Twingo Ad

European advertisements are sometimes very loaded with innuendo, well this one is so loaded that it has been banned in Italy....lovely lead in, wonderful twist

FORMULA 1: Lotus-Renault confirms Vitaly Petrov

2010 rookie driver Vitaly Petrov has been confirmed for the second seat in the Lotus-Renault team, joining Robert Kubica .

Lotus Renault GP chairman, Gerard Lopez said that Petrov showed promise on several occasions and this convinced the team that he has the potential to deliver results for 2011.

Lopez also said that they are establishing strong links in Russia  and working on the prospect of turning them into successful ventures in the next two seasons.

Russia is a major automotive market and both Lotus and Renault could do well to tap the cash rich consumers in there.

Petrov said rule changes for the 2011 season will mean new challenges, everyone will have to get used to the new tyres, moveable rear wings and KERS.

"So there are some things to adapt to, but they should improve the show and make for better racing. I've already seen the new car in the wind tunnel and it looks very promising. I also love our new colours and can't wait to get back in the car and go racing.

Petrov has to prove himself with consistent results and he believes he has the speed  but needs to cut down on the number of mistakes.

During the off-season, Petrov is spending time with his family while working on his fitness regime before returning to the factory for seat-fitting in the new car.

GALLERY LOTUS RENAULT CONFIRMS VITALY PETROV

PRESS RELEASE


Vitaly Petrov completes Lotus Renault GP driver line-up for 2011 and 2012

Lotus Renault GP is delighted to announce that Vitaly Petrov will complete its driver line-up for the 2011 and 2012 Formula 1 seasons. He will partner Robert Kubica next year.

Gérard Lopez, Chairman of Lotus Renault GP, commented: "We're delighted to have Vitaly on board for another two years. Last season, he showed on several occasions that he clearly has the potential to deliver. It was just a matter of putting everything together during the same weekend, race after race, and this will be his target for 2011. Also, thanks to Vitaly and the team, Russia is opening up to Formula 1. Over the past few months, we've established close links with this country and with some of its strongest companies. We're looking forward to building on this special relationship and turning it into a very successful adventure over the next two seasons."

Eric Boullier, Lotus Renault GP Team Principal, commented: "We are very pleased to confirm that Vitaly will be staying with us for 2011 and 2012, in order that both he and the team can build on a promising 2010 campaign. The entire team has been working flat out over the past months to improve our competitiveness, and a stable driver line-up is essential to achieving our targets. Robert Kubica provides a remarkable benchmark for both speed and consistency, and we are certain that Vitaly will move closer to this level of performance next year."

Vitaly Petrov commented: "I am very happy to continue with the team and proud to be representing Lotus Renault GP for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. I learned a lot about the sport, the circuits and the car this year. That will help me improve even more in the future. I am very excited about working with this great team once more, and I'm confident that I will deliver. In many ways, 2010 was about learning. 2011 will be about performing. Today, I feel I am ready to rise to this challenge."

Q&A with Vitaly Petrov

Vitaly, how does it feel to be confirmed at Lotus Renault GP?
It feels great. I learned so much this year and I know that I can come back stronger in 2011. I'm extremely proud to be part of this team and I'm determined to repay the faith they have shown in me.

Looking back on your rookie season, what did you enjoy the most?
There were a lot of special moments. The race in Shanghai is something that I will always remember when I overtook Schumacher and Webber to score my first points. Then, the first time I made Q3 in Turkey was an important step for me. And, of course, the race in Hungary was probably my best weekend when everything came together for me.

How has your life change since you became an F1 driver?
There's a lot more travelling and not a lot of time for myself, but I will never complain because I love what I'm doing. I still feel like a boy at Christmas every time I get in the car. Life is not as easy as people think, of course, and there's a lot more to F1 than driving the car, but it's an amazing experience and I know I'm lucky to be one of just 24 drivers on the grid.

Do you feel at home at Lotus Renault GP?
Yes, definitely. Previous drivers have always said that there is a special atmosphere here and I have to say I agree with them. The team is very warm, friendly and open, and I get on really well with the guys.

Can you feel the growing support for F1 from Russia?
Definitely. I get more support from my country every week. In fact, recently one of the major lifestyle magazines included me in their top ten most attractive single men of Russia! You can feel that the sport is becoming more popular and soon we will have our own Grand Prix, which will create more interest. Even our prime minister, Mr Putin, got a taste of F1 when he tried a Renault F1 car earlier this year.

What will be the main challenges of 2011?
There are quite a few changes that we have to adapt to as a team: new tyres, moveable rear wings and KERS, which I've never used before. There's even a new race in India. So there are some things to adapt to, but they should improve the show and make for better racing. I've already seen the new car in the wind tunnel and it looks very promising. I also love our new colours and can't wait to get back in the car and go racing.

What do you hope to achieve in your second season?
My objective is to continue improving as a driver and to become more consistent. There were times this year when I made mistakes and lost points, and I know this is where I can improve. I think I showed that I have the speed, but I need to be consistent over the whole weekend and get the maximum from every session.

What is your plan over the next couple of months before testing begins in February?
I was thinking about spending a few days in Maranello this winter, but I have been told it probably wasn't the best idea... Seriously, after a busy year I'm taking the time to go back home and see my family and friends. It's also the time to recharge my batteries so that I can come back fresh next year. I'm already working hard on my fitness and doing lots of training to be ready for the start of the season. Then, in January, I will be at the factory to see my engineers and for my seat-fit in the new car.

Renault-Nissan to power Mercedes cars

AMG-powered Nissan and Renault/Nissan powered A and B-Class 

are some of the expected result of this agreement

Some Malaysians are upset that Proton is using the lancer as the base car for the Inspira, but technolgoy sharing is a fact of life in the competitive world of the auto industry.

As you can see here, Renault-Nissan alliance supremo Carlos Ghosn is signing an agreement with Daimler boss, Dr Dieter Zetsche to supply the German car maker with engines.

Mercedes Benz invented the car and they build some of the best automobiles in the world and even they have to admit that some things are just not worth developing themselves.

For the full story, follow the jump





Renault Nissan are experts in small engines and after developing their own engines for the compact A-Class and B-Class models, Mercedes realise that they are no expert when it comes to small engines and are turning to Renault Nissan for help.

BMW worked with Peugeot-Citroen for the engine in their Mini.

These two examples prove that sharing technology or buying technology is nothing to be ashamed about, in fact it is the reality of today and cannot be avoided.

The Daimler-Renault-Nissan deal will also see Nissan receiveing crates from Affalterbach, inside they will find engines marked with AMG on the cam cover.

NOTE: Proton is also working on an alliance with Renault-Nissan, let's hope the national car company can bring something to the table in terms of technology...