The Formula 1 Commission has reportedly approved three name changes for the 2012 season, after a meeting in Geneva.
That means Team Lotus will officially become Caterham, whilst Renault, which is title sponsored by Group Lotus, will be renamed Lotus, strengthening its ties with the Malaysian automobile group and bringing an end to the confusion of having two teams with ‘Lotus’ in their name.
The final team to have their name change approved is Virgin Racing, which will be known simply as Marrusia, reflecting the Russian manufacturers majority stake in the team – Virgin will reportedly continue to sponsor the team with its significant branding staying put.
The changes, which are expected to be confirmed on December 7th at the next FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting, are just some of a handful which include extra tyres for Q3, calendar concerns and changes to the safety car regulations (more details here).