Official: Renault buys Lotus for 2016
After months of back and forth, Renault has finally finalized the purchase of its former team, Lotus. The Renault F1 Team will therefore return as soon as next season.
It was necessary to wait until the end of the season for the French manufacturer to make its official announcement. It is therefore Carlos Ghosn, its president, who confirmed it: Renault had two options: come back 100% or completely exit. After a detailed analysis, I made my decision: Renault will be present in Formula 1 from 2016. The latest information obtained from the main F1 players allows us to approach this new challenge with confidence. Our ambition is to win, although reasonably it will take time.
It is interesting to note that the businessman refers to the key players in F1, which includes Bernie Ecclestone. Indeed, today’s announcement follows an Abu Dhabi weekend marked by numerous about-turns on the subject. On Friday morning, the matter seemed settled. But just a few hours later, the exact opposite rumor spread in the press room. However, by Saturday evening, an agreement seemed to have finally been reached, which would allow the acquisition of Lotus to be finalized.
The crux of the issue is that Renault demanded to receive the same preferential treatment as other “historic” teams, such as Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, Williams, and also Red Bull. While the request is legitimate (and allows for a significant reduction in the investment required from the manufacturer), one can question its legitimacy when a team like Sauber, present in the sport since the early 1990s, is excluded. We can thus imagine that the investigators of the European Commission will not fail to look into the matter.
In order not to jeopardize the bilateral agreements with the different teams until 2020, Renault is said to have received a guarantee of receiving higher compensation at that time, which allows Bernie Ecclestone to secure a long-term presence of a major global automotive player.
On the other hand, the operational details of this commitment will not be provided until next month. We will then know under what name its engine will be used by Red Bull. But there are already whispers that it could be Tag Heuer, which has decided to leave McLaren after 30 years of partnership.
With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr
