Lotus Racing Not Target Of Lawsuit Filed By Force India

Lotus Racing has received full indemnity in the on-going legal battle between Force India F1 team and Aerolab/Fondtech, the aerodynamic development firm which designed the wind tunnel model for Lotus Racing before the start of the current F1 season.

Force India had expressed concern at the similarities between its own 2009 F1 car and Lotus Racing's wind tunnel model. In particular, the front wing assembly design was too familiar for Force India's comfort. It does little to help that Mike Gascoyne, formerly with Force India, is now Lotus Racing's Chief Technical Officer.

Force India had carried out work at Aerolab/Fondtech under Gascoyne, leaving behind a wind tunnel model which Aerolab/Fondtech allegedly copied from and used to design Lotus Racing's model. In response to the civil law suit seeking damages, Aerolab/Fondtech, on the other hand, insists on its innocence, denying any wrongdoing from the outset.

Although called upon as a co-defendant by Aerolab/Fondtech, Lotus Racing is in effect exempted from the law suit. “These proceedings do not allege any wrongdoing on the part of Lotus Racing”, said a Lotus Racing spokesperson. “Aerolab/Fondtech vigorously denies any wrongdoing and has provided Lotus Racing with a full indemnity in relation to the claim”.

AboutSeow Yaohan

Seow Yao Han strives to bring you the latest and the most comprehensive information on cars available in Malaysia. But it's never easy for him to talk and write cars in this part of the world because what you lust after is often not what you drive home. When the euphoria of test-driving that branded, super-expensive sports car dies down, he just goes home in his less-than-glamorous ride.