Team Lotus, the Formula One team, and Group Lotus, the road car company and sponsor of Renault, are set to dispute the Lotus “name row” in court much earlier than expected.
Mr Justice Peter Smith has pencilled in a date of March 21st to oversee the matter in more detail and to find a resolution to the conflict.
The court action is expected to last no-more than 10 days and as a result, the dispute between the two companies is sure to be settled early into the 2011 F1 season, and not drag on past the end of the season as was originally anticipated.
Team Lotus, fronted by Tony Fernandes, has claimed that Group Lotus, had terminated their five-year licencing deal to run a Lotus F1 team early, and feel that uncertainties relating to its right to use the Lotus name in F1 need to be set in stone.
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