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Force India sues Lotus over copied car designs
Source: Agencies |
June 3, 2010, Thursday
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THE Force India Formula One team has started legal action against Lotus over allegations that its rival copied designs while building its latest car.
Force India says it began civil action in Britain's High Court against Lotus' parent companies, former Force India designer Michael Gascoyne and Italian wind tunnel Aerolab.
Force India says Lotus had unauthorized access to "intellectual property" as well as components and tires licensed exclusively to the team by Bridgestone.
Force India said yesterday that "these are very serious claims and therefore it would not be taking such action if it could not provide supportive evidence.
"Additionally Force India would like to clarify that any action between Aerolab and Force India for undue termination of contract is now being addressed by the courts."
Meanwhile, Red Bull has written off its drivers' costly Turkish Grand Prix collision as a racing incident after earlier pinning the blame on championship leader Mark Webber.
Team principal Christian Horner said in an interview published by Red Bull on Tuesday that he and owner Dietrich Mateschitz had both had words with Australian Webber and German Sebastian Vettel since Sunday's race.
"Dietrich has spoken with both drivers following the incident," said Horner. "He has always supported both drivers equally and summed it up by saying: 'We shouldn't talk about the past, but concentrate on the future. The fact is that we not only have the fastest car, but also two of the best and fastest drivers'."
Helmut Marko, a close adviser of Mateschitz, had blamed Webber on Sunday for not making space for his teammate, despite the German turning in to the Australian's car during the maneuver.
Horner, whose team has started all seven races on pole position but won just three this season, said no orders had been given during the race for Vettel to pass Webber and both would retain equal status.
The Australian had led from pole position until his German teammate tried to overtake on the inside 18 laps from the finish.
Webber leads the championship by five points ahead of next week's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, the eighth of 19 races. Vettel is fifth overall, 15 points adrift.
Horner said the drivers would clear the air before they went to Canada.
Force India says it began civil action in Britain's High Court against Lotus' parent companies, former Force India designer Michael Gascoyne and Italian wind tunnel Aerolab.
Force India says Lotus had unauthorized access to "intellectual property" as well as components and tires licensed exclusively to the team by Bridgestone.
Force India said yesterday that "these are very serious claims and therefore it would not be taking such action if it could not provide supportive evidence.
"Additionally Force India would like to clarify that any action between Aerolab and Force India for undue termination of contract is now being addressed by the courts."
Meanwhile, Red Bull has written off its drivers' costly Turkish Grand Prix collision as a racing incident after earlier pinning the blame on championship leader Mark Webber.
Team principal Christian Horner said in an interview published by Red Bull on Tuesday that he and owner Dietrich Mateschitz had both had words with Australian Webber and German Sebastian Vettel since Sunday's race.
"Dietrich has spoken with both drivers following the incident," said Horner. "He has always supported both drivers equally and summed it up by saying: 'We shouldn't talk about the past, but concentrate on the future. The fact is that we not only have the fastest car, but also two of the best and fastest drivers'."
Helmut Marko, a close adviser of Mateschitz, had blamed Webber on Sunday for not making space for his teammate, despite the German turning in to the Australian's car during the maneuver.
Horner, whose team has started all seven races on pole position but won just three this season, said no orders had been given during the race for Vettel to pass Webber and both would retain equal status.
The Australian had led from pole position until his German teammate tried to overtake on the inside 18 laps from the finish.
Webber leads the championship by five points ahead of next week's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, the eighth of 19 races. Vettel is fifth overall, 15 points adrift.
Horner said the drivers would clear the air before they went to Canada.
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