[A 2]

So you guys think ROTUS or LOTUS will have a name change at some point? I'm guessing at some point whoever ends up with the Lotus brand could sue to ask them to change their name. Tony Fernandes must be smiling now

http://www.autosport...rt.php/id/98628

Lotus has terminated its title sponsorship deal with sportscar manufacturer Group Lotus, AUTOSPORT can reveal, but remains wholly committed to keeping the famous name in Formula 1 for the future.On the back of financial uncertainties for Group Lotus, which was recently sold by Proton to Malaysian automotive conglomerate DRB-Hicom, Lotus F1's team owner Genii Capital has ended its formal relationship with the marque.

AUTOSPORT understands that Genii owner Gerard Lopez recently agreed a deal for the title sponsorship deal, which was originally put together in 2010, to be cancelled, as well as an old option that Proton had to buy 50% of the team annulled.

Speaking about the situation, Lopez told AUTOSPORT: "The sponsorship agreement and the obligations of Lotus have been terminated. There is no option from Group Lotus to buy into F1 now - that option was taken over by us. There was one, but we have taken it over now."

Although the end of the Group Lotus sponsorship tie-up means a change of plans for the team, Lopez says that he remains committed to the Lotus name.

[ytdlite]

been reading about this one and its a huge mess. bahar has done a fine job of running group lotus into the ground, piling up debt and leaving nothing of value except a profitable engineering division which will get sold off. this mess effects not only f1 but indy cars as well.
not sure how the name change will happen but we'll see/hear less and less references to the name lotus.

[A 2]

Damon Hill adds his voice to the calling off of the race in Bahrain.

http://www.autosport...rt.php/id/98650

I think Bernie should listen in the interests of the sport and the people of Bahrain.

[A 2]

Bernie says it is up to the teams and the FIA to determine whether or not to race in Bahrain

http://www.autosport...rt.php/id/98684

[A 2]

Pirelli Announces Tyre choices for Bahrain, Spain and Monaco

http://www.autosport...rt.php/id/98578



Pirelli has announced its tyre compound choices for three more grands prix, revealing the rubber it will bring to the Bahrain, Spanish and Monaco races.Bahrain will see the same medium/soft selection made for Australia and China, before the hard and soft compounds are used for Catalunya - in an effort to both handle the track's high lateral tyre loadings and promote strategic variety.

For Monte Carlo, Pirelli will bring its super soft for the first time in 2012, alongside the soft compound.

The firm's motorsport director Paul Hembery said: "Our nominations this year are designed to push the envelope of performance, as can be seen from our latest choices.

"Only the super soft tyre is the same compound as last year: the other compounds are softer and therefore faster, designed to encourage closer racing as well as a wider variety of strategies."

[wolfhaleys2k]

Chinese GP

1st half
2nd half

Wish there would have been some wheel to wheel racing for 1st, but Nico had a great drive, well deserved. He was flying.

[S2k007]

Great race. Lots of over taking and exciting passes. Congrats to Nico on his first win. Button had a chance at Nico there if they didn't botch up his stop. Cost him an extra 10-15 seconds if you factor in the time lost behind the cars he had to pass.

[Mr Apex]

I almost stopped watching when Kimi dropped to 14th in 1 lap. It was a gamble, but Lotus should have called him in for a third set of tires.

[Voodoo_S2K]

S2k007, on 15 April 2012 - 04:27 AM, said:

Great race. Lots of over taking and exciting passes. Congrats to Nico on his first win. Button had a chance at Nico there if they didn't botch up his stop. Cost him an extra 10-15 seconds if you factor in the time lost behind the cars he had to pass.

Yeah. Would have loved to see Button push Nico from behind.

[A 2]

Would love to see Dean Stoneman (who I never heard of until reading this article) make it to F1.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/17814361

He appears like he has the skill and mindset to deserve a test. Hopefully he will become F1's version of Lance Armstrong minus the controversy

[A 2]

Forward roll hoops are being tested by the FIA

http://vimeo.com/40140808

[S2k007]

They should just use closed cockpits.

[ytdlite]

ending my boycoot of f1 with this http://www.formula1....12/5/13309.html . also theres a good article in automobile on conor daily and rossi's pursuit of a drive in f1.

[A 2]

ytdlite, on 05 May 2012 - 07:52 AM, said:

ending my boycoot of f1 with this http://www.formula1....12/5/13309.html . also theres a good article in automobile on conor daily and rossi's pursuit of a drive in f1.

Glad you decided to end your boycott. The discussion on Bahrain was rather mute as I am sure everyone had their reservations about that event.

Hoping Rossi does well in his test and lands a drive with a good team. We need an American champion and a popular one at that. I think it will go a long way towards popularizing road racing here in the US.

[S2k007]

Mclaren to use new higher nose following the inseason test.

[A 2]

FIA rejects a zero-tolerance approach to awarding driver penalties in the drivers meeting in Spain in the aftermath of what happened in Bahrain. Should they have been more lenient with LH in Spain?

http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/18042665

Some drivers felt there should be a zero-tolerance approach to this - with seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and Ferrari's Felipe Massa particularly vocal.

But others - including world champion Sebastian Vettel - argued that stewards should be allowed to use their discretion.

This was because there are such a wide variety of instances in which this could apply, and a penalty would in some of the less serious cases be draconian - an example would be for gaining 0.1secs by cutting a chicane.

Vettel and others felt that stewards should be able to take into account the size of the advantage gained and the mitigating circumstances that could be involved.

It is understood no driver actively disagreed with this view once Vettel had raised it.

Whiting discussed the issue with the race stewards in Spain on Friday evening and decided on Saturday that there were too many variables involved for a zero-tolerance approach to work.

His decision was communicated to teams after qualifying on Saturday.

[Triple-H]

S2k007, on 09 May 2012 - 05:10 PM, said:

Mclaren to use new higher nose following the inseason test.

So much for their "superior uniqueness"

[Triple-H]

A 2, on 12 May 2012 - 02:28 PM, said:

FIA rejects a zero-tolerance approach to awarding driver penalties in the drivers meeting in Spain in the aftermath of what happened in Bahrain. Should they have been more lenient with LH in Spain?

Applies to grapefruit

Pushing a driver off track is a major problem, and should have been dealt with severely, it was not, just another absurd decision by the stewards and the FIA

Running you car out of gas during qualifying is the same thing, a major problem, and needed to be dealt with severely, in this situation with LH, he got what he and the team deserved