Genii sells 2% of Lotus

However, this entry into the capital should not be seen as the first sign of the withdrawal of the Luxembourg investment fund. It is more of a particular interest expressed by a long-standing professional associate of Gérard Lopez.

He also confirmed this to the British newspaper The Telegraph: « He is not a major shareholder in the team. He is a friend and a business partner in major real estate ventures. He loves cars, racing, and if I’m not mistaken, bought 2% of the capital to join the board and feel involved. Clearly, this is not a major deal for either party. »

This is in line with his statements from last January when he said he was not opposed to the entry of new investors but had no intention of selling the majority of his shares since F1 is primarily a platform to be exposed to potential future partners in other business sectors of Genii: « When we bought the team, we had 75% of the shares. Then, we went up to 100%. But we have always said that if other investors want to buy some shares, we are ready. I never wanted to sell the team because, for me, for Genii Capital, F1 is a very beautiful platform to develop our business. With the sponsors, we discuss not only advertising on the car but also business in the broader sense. »

Under these conditions, it is understandable why the financial loss recorded in 2011 (£20.8 million) is acceptable from their point of view: F1 is an investment that allows for sealing much more lucrative operations by offering a massive global advertising platform. However, it would be beneficial to find a genuine title sponsor for the team since Lotus no longer provides any funds to be associated with the team due to the financial difficulties of its parent company, the Malaysian group Proton. As for the Honeywell avenue launched by many sites last November, it seems definitely extinguished.

If Kimi Räikkönen managed to maintain his second place in the championship, there could be more candidates.

With the participation of www.Racingbusiness.fr