Charles Pic seizes bailiffs against Lotus
Lotus's legal and economic problems are piling up: after Pirelli in Hungary, it's Charles Pic who is putting pressure on the team due to a dispute regarding their collaboration from last year.
On Friday morning, Lotus’s session in Hungary was disrupted by the non-delivery of the team’s tires by Pirelli. The conflict was resolved just ten minutes before the start of the session when a bank transfer could be made.
This time, legal troubles occurred on Thursday evening, with bailiffs sent by Charles Pic. This visit resulted in the team director, the technical director, and the team coordinator having to stay late in the garage, past the curfew imposed at 11 p.m.
However, the FIA showed goodwill by not imposing blame or a sanction on the team as it recognized that the three individuals were not operating on the cars and therefore their presence did not bring a technical or competitive advantage to the team.
If the French driver has decided to involve bailiffs, it is because the financial dispute between the two parties is estimated at around 800,000 euros, in relation to ten Friday morning testing sessions not carried out, as he indicated to our colleagues from L’Equipe: “They did not respect the contract. It is not only about the track days, but also about other aspects on which I prefer not to elaborate.”
If the discussions continue, they must reach a conclusion by Sunday evening, otherwise the bailiffs could prevent the team’s equipment from leaving Belgium at the end of the weekend.
This procedure is part of the increasingly recurring rumors about a possible takeover of Lotus by its former owner, Renault. However, the French driver has received support from the Losange throughout his career. If Lotus’s legal troubles are becoming more and more visible in the press, the team’s value in the eyes of other investors can only decrease. This can only be in the interest of the remaining buyers…
From our special envoy in Spa-Francorchamps
