http://chiefofficers.net/888333888/c...ecomes_surreal
Battle over Lotus name becomes surreal
The deal is done but the news hasn't been released by either party, it appears. Group Lotus, the wholly owned subsidiary of Malaysian car manufacturer Proton, is to buy out the 25% of Renault F1 team that is owned by .... Renault. But Renault will keep their name on the car. Whose logo will be on the nose-cone of the Lotus-Renault remains to be seen.
By making the investment and re-branding the Renault outfit, Group Lotus expect to immediately be ahead of the Team Lotus cars in 2011.Renault - which has many years F1 experience (it was, at one time, the Benetton team) finished 5th this year aided by the impossibility of overtaking in the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi; Lotus Racing finished 10th in its first season - a remarkable achievement.