Sportscar/GT (and Le Mans) Rumours and Repetition

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

John Dagys explains that Rebellion painted the car in the JPS livery without a signed contract

Haha don't believe what these manufacturers tell you Rebellion.

Hopefully if it is as insignificant as a paint job they can get that sorted out.

They aren't short on sponsors as evidenced at Sebring.



Will be interesting to see whether that Lotus logo is still there at Spa!

[GT6]

well lets us hope that no serious damage has been done to the rebellion team, they are without doubt one of the hardest working and well respected outfits and l will always have my support after the way they made us feel welcome on our pit visit 3 years ago

[Aysedasi]

Here, here.....

[deggis]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

It's not so easy to change the team name in F1 due the Concorde deal and prize money... has to mean that?

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by deggis

It's not so easy to change the team name in F1 due the Concorde deal and prize money... has to mean that?

The issue is that the team has no identity, and no manufacturer backing. The point you raise may well be true, but they can either keep the Lotus name or call themselves Genii. A low as 'Lotus' are in my estimation I know which I'd pick.

[deggis]

However the loss of its sponsorship deal with Group Lotus will not mean another change of identity in F1. A team spokesperson told F1 Fanatic it could continue doing so beyond 2017.

Umm... okay.

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/04/0...e-sponsorship/

[gwyllion]

So Lotus get sponsoring without paying for it, like they did when the team of Tony Fernandes ran under the Lotus Racing (2010)/Team Lotus (2011) banner. Crazy stuff.

[Simmi]

The crazy thing about this is that it isn't even a straight sponsorship agreement, more like a tie-up with Genii Capital.

So similar to the Rebellion deal they are going round with maybe Dany Bahar sweet-talking people into painting/naming their cars, without even putting any real money in. It is a lack of money going to Judd which looks to have held up the development of 'their' IndyCar engine. It's such a tinpot approach.

I'm convinced it's a business strategy he's carried over from Red Bull where a blanket campaign of re-branding, badging and paint jobs is designed to create and image of racing by association.

[gwyllion]

I really like the following observation in LMR #73:

In any case, it must have seemed strange to Nick Heidfeld to don a black and gold driver’s suit as he is currently embroiled in legal action with the Lotus F1 team for unfair dismissal. Colin Chapman must have turned in his grave at the idea of seeing Lotus represented by Lola!

source: http://www.vif-argent.fr/lmr73/#/26/

The whole situation is just ridiculous. Lotus should have spent their money on the two projects that are proper Lotus products: the Indycar engine and the Evora GTE. Because Dany Bahar's megalomania these two projects will probably suffer the most. Poor John Judd and Alex Job

[Simmi]

And we all know that LMP2 that was touted will never see the light of day. I'd also wager we won't see a GTE Evora on the track beyond this season.

[FIRE]

Lotus, once an iconic brand has become a joke...sad but true..

[gustavobamba]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Lotus, once an iconic brand has become a joke...sad but true..

Your right, sadly.

Last year i hope to see a Lotus Esprit GT2 running in 2013 in Le Mans, now i dont believe that car will even been built. Shame Mr. Bahar , so much promising and nothing...

[TF110]

Bit quick to judgement there guys. Give em a little more time I think they'll be ok.

[gustavobamba]

Originally Posted by TF110

Bit quick to judgement there guys. Give em a little more time I think they'll be ok.

This is not about time this is about fake promises.

The way they are doing thinks no one will believe them soon, that's my opinion.

Credibility is important, and in the F1 sponsorship case is absurd what they did.

[Simmi]

Just on the Dagy live sportscar chat. Anyone heard the rumours about only one Dyson car for Le Mans?

Would be a real shame but not really a surprise given the fact they clearly need to find some pay drivers.

Apparently there will be some news on this later this week.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by gustavobamba

This is not about time this is about fake promises.

The way they are doing thinks no one will believe them soon, that's my opinion.

Credibility is important, and in the F1 sponsorship case is absurd what they did.

You said they probably won't build the Espirit. I said that's not your call. Maybe you're speaking of their sporting programs, I'm talking about you saying they won't build the car.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Just on the Dagy live sportscar chat. Anyone heard the rumours about only one Dyson car for Le Mans?

Don't know anything about the whole situation but if this happens, and given that the Jetalliance entry has already been withdrawn and Level 5 is also likely to disappear, we might actually see Hope's P1 hybrid back in Le Mans... that would require one further withdrawal in addition to those though

Too bad entries appear to be dropping out in prototypes but not in GTE(-AM), I would love to get more PROs off from the reserves

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by TF110

You said they probably won't build the Espirit. I said that's not your call. Maybe you're speaking of their sporting programs, I'm talking about you saying they won't build the car.

He's completely entitled to his opinion, and on this matter, he's not alone in thinking that. What's it to you?

It might turn around, but the fact is that they have routinely taken the easy way out at every turn. They are in a worse financial position now than when they started throwing all these potential projects out there.

All they've done is half-a*sed a GTE car, basically abandoned it, re-named some stuff and shelved an LMP2 car.

[gustavobamba]

Originally Posted by TF110

You said they probably won't build the Espirit. I said that's not your call. Maybe you're speaking of their sporting programs, I'm talking about you saying they won't build the car.

I´ve learn, from my parent´s, there is only one way to do things: it is well.
Of course I have nothing to see if they build the Esprit, thats not the point i insist... the point is the way they are using to do it. Imagine if Alfa Romeu now begin to tell everyone that they will enter Le Mans with a LMP1 car with hydrogen technology and then enter in all motorsport categories promoting that technology and rebranding cars!!!! Sudenly they said, well we don´t have money sorry!!!

I don´t care if they built the Esprit or not, I am not a shareholder. if they continue to do this bad publicity ( in motorsport our other´s) they never going the buid the car

I'm a big fan of Lotus but it costs me a lot seeing all this confusion.

[merlot brougham]

The worst part about this is the "old" Group Lotus basically has no say in these matters anymore, anyway. All the old leaders, are no longer there or in a place that they have no say in these matters.

And to make matters more questionable Proton was essentially propped up by the Malaysian gov't since it's inception. Since January a private equity group bought out the Malaysian gov't share of Proton so they are now answering to a bunch of money hungry, greedy investors who will just as likely raid the companies under the Proton umbrella and sell it off as invest in it for the long term.

I remember all the press releases flying about in January claiming that this would have no impact on the future Lotus product line or any of it's motorsports plans and interests. I guess we are seeing how true that is now. So sad that Lotus is turning into a joke.

[ronnie peterson]

Graham Goodwin just tweeted: Big story due tomorrow - and not in a good way!

https://twitter.com/#!/dsceditor/sta...86707024027648

What could it possibly be?

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by ronnie peterson

Graham Goodwin just tweeted: Big story due tomorrow - and not in a good way!

https://twitter.com/#!/dsceditor/sta...86707024027648

What could it possibly be?

Yeah just seen that. Sounds ominous!

[Creep89]

Maybe about ELMS?

[CTD]

Aston!?

[Acid09]

Bahrain cancelled.... even though I'm not sure that even qualifies as bad news.