Court date set for Lotus squabble
The dispute over the Lotus name is going to court next Monday © Getty Images
The Lotus naming dispute is set to go to London's High Court on January 24, leaving very little time for an agreement to be reached out of court.
Both sides have refused to cede any ground on the issue, despite Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar saying early this week that he felt the issue could be solved without going to court. However, in response to Bahar, Team Lotus CEO Riad Asmat said: "We haven't heard anything from them - we haven't talked to them recently."
Both sides have appointed lawyers and, as things stand, Group Lotus will apply for a summary judgement next Monday at the High Court - a ruling that would not require a subsequent trial.
However, there are several issues to resolve, including Group Lotus' early termination of a five-year naming licence with Team Lotus and claims that Group Lotus has been passing off by using the original - Colin Chapman-owned - Team Lotus' history in its promotional material.
Despite the uncertainty, Asmat said Team Lotus is pushing ahead with its plans for the 2011 season and has no plans for a further rebranding.
"We know we are Team Lotus, so it's really not an issue for us," he told the BBC. "It [the dispute] is what it is. We have a five-year plan. It's unfortunate they decided to go their own way for reasons which to me are trivial."
Credit: ESPN F1 (espn.com)
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