Lotus co-owner Gerard Lopez recently confirmed that the Quantum deal was no longer, but now it seems that the deal might be back on the table.
Lopez’s recent claim that “the money never arrived, so we cancelled [the deal]” was thought to be the end of the saga, but it’s now been revealed that a revised plan has been put forward which may still see Quantum take a stake in the Enstone based outfit.
Minor Lotus shareholder Andrew Ruhan told Autosport on Friday that they “maintain discussions with Mansoor [Ijaz] and still believe it is possible that a deal on a similar basis can be concluded.”
Meanwhile Ijaz confirmed that a new deal has been tabled with new investors and, if signed off, could be concluded by February.
“The original configuration of the Quantum deal is indeed no longer being pursued by us,” he said. “That was my decision internally, and I conveyed that to Lotus and Genii before the Christmas break.
“During the break, we brought the appropriate professional assistance on board, and we conveyed our results on Wednesday to the team, and it was agreed that we proceed to conclusion.”
It remains to be seen whether this approach will work, but the deal will certainly assist Lotus this season after Lopez revealed the team has debts of £114 million ($187m).
