In the run up to this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, Mika has been joined by Nico Rosberg and a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster. Despite the obvious staging of their conversation, the insights are worthwhile reading and do a pretty good job of whetting our appetite for the race ahead.

* * *

It’s a scene that happens hundreds of thousands of times a day around the world: two people meet in a lift, greet each other and begin to chat about work and life. The twist in this particular story, though, is that the elevator is in Monte-Carlo; the two men are resident in the same apartment building, separated by little more than a few floors; and both have written their own chapters in the very exclusive grand prix racing history of Mercedes-Benz.

Mika Häkkinen was the first Mercedes-Benz world champion of the modern era, and a two-time title winner in 1998 and 1999 with McLaren Mercedes; Nico Rosberg is the first man to win a Grand Prix at the wheel of a Silver Arrow since the great Juan Manuel Fangio, in the third season of the return of the Silver Arrows. On the eve of the race around their home streets, the two men met to discuss their experiences as part of one of the most spectacular events in world sport.

The histories of Mika Häkkinen and Nico Rosberg have been intertwined for more than twenty years, when Nico was just a young boy and Mika worked with Keke Rosberg, who led his management team.

“I don’t remember when we first met – maybe Mika does!” laughs Nico when the question comes.

“Well, I started working with Keke at the end of 1987,” recalls Mika. “I think the first time we met must have been down here in Monaco in the early ‘90s. I was visiting Keke, and you were playing in your room! It’s possible I was his first sponsor in karting – do you remember that?”

“Yeah, sure,” laughs Nico. “It was 1997, I was 11 years old and competing in the French go-karting championship. I had a poster in my room with all my sponsors on there, and one of them was you!”

“My son is eleven now,” says Mika, picking up the thread. “I’m sure I did a contract with Keke that one day, when Nico will win races and be world champion, he has to start supporting my son Hugo!”

If the early stages of Nico’s career were supported by Mika – who today himself is a partner with Didier Coton in Aces Management and has, among others, young Finn Valtteri Bottas under his wing – the parallels between the two have only grown stronger as time has passed. Both Mika and Nico had to wait until their seventh Formula One season before climbing the top step of the podium – Mika after 96 races, at the 1997 European Grand Prix in Jerez; Nico in his 111th start, at this year’s Chinese Grand Prix. And both in their third seasons driving Mercedes-Benz-powered cars.

“Your first victory in Formula One always feels like it is a long time coming,” explains Mika. “And especially in my case – but when it arrives, the feeling is just amazing. But problems are part of life, and winning or losing, they don’t disappear. You need to keep understanding the cause of disappointments and where you and the team can improve.

“There is no point having your face upside down for one week – it’s better to pick up the phone, travel, see people, talk, organise yourself. Then you know that at the next event, you will be stronger – and if not the car, then yourself; you can always be better. Because the day when you have a car to win, you have to be ready. If not, it’s too late. I knew that one day I was going to win, it just took a long time.”

“I had exactly the same feeling – Ross, all the guys, kept telling me that the win would come, I just needed to stay patient and take my opportunity,” agrees Nico. “Of course, you get frustrated if it doesn’t go perfectly, but time takes that away and you keep going, follow the development, communicate constantly with the team.”

“Nico did a perfect weekend in China and deserves full credit for that win,” emphasises Mika. “It was not depending on circumstances or luck, but purely on his hard work. As a Mercedes-Benz ambassador, it was great not only to watch his achievements, but to enjoy seeing Mercedes-Benz back on the top step of the podium.”

Inevitably, the conversation soon turns to the unique challenge of racing around the Monegasque streets, which have been home to both of them for more than 20 years. For Nico, the tunnel was once the route to school, in the passenger seat next to his Mum or on the school bus. And that ‘local’ feel is one that Mika says remains throughout the weekend.

“I had some great victories in my career, but Monaco was something special,” remembers Mika. “I have lived here for 20 years and the thing you realise is that the people who work on the race track are also the people who live and work in Monaco – the police, the pompiers. In everyday life, these are the guys you see in the street and they say ‘hi’ as you walk past. To win in Monaco is like winning in your home streets, and you recognise faces all through the weekend.”

“It’s home for me too, of course,” picks up Nico. “I’ve grown up here, all my friends are here and my family, I know everybody and it’s very special to race here. Mentally, it’s quite a demanding weekend. You have a lot going on, a lot of PR events and appointments. Plus on track, too, it’s a bit more intense – but not so much. You need to be super concentrated at every circuit.”

“That’s true. But what changed for me was that, when I got a car that I would win races with, Monaco became more important for some reason. When you are hunting pole position in Monaco, your mind changes; you put yourself in a higher power, even though you think you are doing it already. When you are fighting for P11 or P12, you always think you are doing your maximum.

“But when I started fighting for pole, it just happened that I was working even harder to reach my goal – but not purposely. And of course, we changed the car, too: the steering lock, and the seating position to sit higher in the car, because the aero was not so important and we wanted to see the Armco properly.”

“That’s interesting, because we definitely make changes, too,” says Nico. “But I don’t think it’s common practice, even today.”

With that, the two men are off to inspect the circuit at the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster. Over the years, Mercedes-Benz has been synonymous with success in Monaco – from the three consecutive victories in 1935, 36 and 37 for Fagioli, Caracciola and von Brauchitsch respectively; to the seven Formula One victories for Mercedes-Benz power, including three of the last five.

And the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team will be working hard to add a new milestone to the company’s heritage this weekend.

Credit: words and pictures, Mercedes-Benz

Gallery

I’d like to test this question with a story which will be published early next week. But first, let me bring you up to speed on why your viewpoint is relevant.

Early last week South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon told the House of Commons that accountancy firm KPMG had been appointed to find a Chinese buyer for Group Lotus. The story was picked up by several ‘reputable’ news providers (including the BBC) and soon was reported as fact, most notably by Autocar’s Steve Cropley, who reported the statement verbatim without appearing to question the accuracy of the claim.

My interest was naturally piqued by this latest revelation, not only because we’ve been following the Lotus situation closely, but because as a former Partner in KPMG and an Alumni of the firm, I keep in touch with my old colleagues and this was definitely ‘news’ to me. So, naturally I dug a little deeper.

During the past few months we’ve spoken with people within Proton, DRB-Hicom and the Malaysian government. We’ve compared notes with respected writers, such as Joe Saward, and thoroughly validated any assumptions we’ve presented after talking directly with Lotus.

I’ve never shied away from criticising the Norfolk car maker, nor its charismatic CEO, but I believe in everyone getting a fair hearing and dislike careless innuendo or misinformation.

With an advisory hat on I’ve sat down with Lotus to find out what’s really going on, to understand the impact of such public scrutiny on their day-to-day business. Everyone makes mistakes and Lotus has been quite open with me about the ones they’ve made, but they expect (and I believe deserve) a fair hearing in the press.

What interests me most at this time is ensuring people are well informed and able to make their own decisions based on the available facts.

As you can probably gather, that’s not the situation which currently exists. Right now, Lotus’ greatest frustration is seeing themselves judged in the media based on misleading comment and biased rhetoric. And despite pursuing retractions, in most cases they are largely being ignored.

If you’re an enthusiast, a fan, or just someone who values the expertise built up in one of Britain’s most innovative companies, then I invite you to hold the media to account, voice your displeasure at careless reporting and question the intentions of those who share their point of view (including myself).

Likewise, help me to ensure all the important questions have been asked. Post any in the comments below and I will endeavour to answer them after meeting again with Lotus next week.

It’s ‘Have Your Say’ time, so take advantage of the opportunity to be heard.

According to correspondent Raymond Blancafort, Webber has already signed a pre-contractual agreement to drive for Ferrari in a one-year deal, providing the opportunity for Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez to join the team in 2014.

Webber’s contract with Red Bull runs out at the end of 2012 and he’s already said “he’d need something (else) competitive (to drive)” if Red Bull didn’t re-sign him for 2013.

The 35-year-old Aussie driver was overshadowed by his teammate Sebastian Vettel last year, but has begun the 2012 season in much stronger form.

Despite rumours that ‘Checo’ Pérez might step in at Ferrari as early as the Spanish GP this May, it’s thought that Ferrari would like him to gain more experience before being placed under the spotlight with Italy’s national racing team.

Whilst Checo’s courage and speed are in little doubt, Massa has not been far behind his teammate during 2012 in terms of pure lap times. With Webber, Ferrari would gain advantage of his experience, consistent results and that fact the he and Alonso already get on well.

To mark the beginning of the 2012 DTM series at Hockenheimring next weekend, two special guests will be joining the Hockenheim opener – Michael Schumacher and Chinese Grand Prix winner Nico Rosberg.

To thank his German fans for their incredible support, Rosberg will be performing demonstration laps in the race-winning Silver Arrow driven by Juan Manuel Fangio in the 1955 F1 season.

Team mate Michael Schumacher will also entertain the crowd, but this time in the more modern 2011 Formula 1 Silver Arrow.

Michael said, “After a busy start to the Formula 1 season (with four flyaway races in succession), it will be nice to come back to Germany for the DTM season opener at Hockenheim on Sunday. I’m especially looking forward to the chance to give the fans a taste of a Formula 1 Silver Arrow in action.

“This will be my first visit to a DTM race in 20 years, and I hope that my brother and his fellow Mercedes-Benz drivers will get their season off to a great start.”

“I’m also looking forward to the first race for the newly formed Mercedes-Benz Junior Team, and its drivers Christian Vietoris, Robert Wickens and Roberto Merhi.

“Just like I did at the start of my career, these young drivers have the benefit of being supported by Mercedes-Benz as they make the step to top-flight motor racing.”

Michael will become a mentor to the junior team drivers, just as Jochen Mass was when the junior team comprised Schumacher, Wendlinger and Frentzen.

Nico has a more recent experience of DTM, volunteered his services at the Hockenheim season opener last year, as a DTM ‘taxi driver’.

“I have great memories of the DTM. The earliest date back to when my father was still racing”, said Nico. “Then I started competing in the various junior classes that are staged as part of the DTM race weekend as I started out on my own motorsport career. A lot has happened in the meantime, and the highlight so far was obviously my win in China one week ago.”

The Mercedes Junior Team (c.1991) – Fritz Kreuzpointner (23), Karl Wendlinger (22) and Michael Schumacher (22).

Gallery

In an age of social news-casting on Twitter and one-click searches on Google, the skill of the investigative journalist is steadily being eroded. As audiences, we are sometimes too ready to jump on news stories that may only have taken 30-minutes to research and produce.

The upside is that we gain access to our news more quickly, but the downside can be that we’re eating more and more ‘half-baked’ dishes that can sometimes lead to a bad case of indigestion..

Take this weekend’s Bahrain GP. As I check the Google-sphere there are some 2,218 news articles online, mostly from reporters who’ve never visited Bahrain or almost certainly were not in the Kingdom during the grand prix weekend.

You’ll have learned, if listening to those who lived the GP first-hand, that their experiences differed greatly from the views reported back home, or spouted by opposition MPs in the House of Commons.

It has become increasingly obvious that our news and opinions are being spun by those whose interests are more aligned with the performance of their title’s ad revenues, rather than any deep seated need to inform.

* * *

The catalyst for this article is Lotus’ CEO Dany Bahar, and whilst he’s no buddy of mine, I do feel drawn towards correcting some of the misunderstandings I have read in the press today.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper sensationally reported this morning that the chief executive of Lotus has a clause in his contract that entitles him to a bonus if the car maker is sold. The implication of this statement is that Bahar has been fattening up the goose (i.e. Group Lotus) for a feast (i.e. the sale of Lotus to the highest bidder), at which he will celebrate his good fortune.

The reporter, Graham Ruddick, then goes on to say, “Mr Bahar’s contract, seen by The Daily Telegraph, says he is entitled to 5pc of the enterprise value of Group Lotus if it is sold or 5pc of the value of its shares if the car maker is floated on a stock market anywhere in the world.

“The potential payment comes on top of a guaranteed annual payment of at least £1.2m, including a £600,000 salary and performance-related bonuses.”

As we have written about the future of Lotus ad infinitum, I won’t bore you again by recapping all the ins and outs. If you’re new to the subject, you can catch up via the articles below.

The author of the Telegraph article closes by saying, “A spokesman for Lotus declined to comment”, which is usually reporter-speak for ‘they’re hiding something’.

Consequently, the impression I gained from reading it was this is another nail in the coffin of the beleaguered Lotus CEO – the greedy ba****d, and we (the great unwashed) should rise up and kick his skinny behind all the way back to his native Switzerland. Good riddance.

* * *

But putting aside any personal opinions you may have on Bahar’s stewardship of the Hethel car company, it’s worth bearing in mind the following.

A CEO’s contract is usually a fixed-term agreement (unlike most employee contracts) containing a number of clauses including the nature of their remuneration package (usually a mixture of base salary and a bonus based on meeting pre-agreed performance criteria, which is likely to be paid in either cash, shares or both).

The contract also usually contains a restrictive non-compete clause (should the CEO be poached or attempt to leave and join a competitor), plus a 12-month (or more) notice period on either side. The reason for this is because most senior executives, by the very nature of their non-compete agreements and highly-paid roles cannot simply leave one source of employ and join another – it can often take years to find their next challenge.

Likewise, there simply aren’t that many positions open at any one time, so the contract aims to both dis-incentivise the CEO from leaving and the company owners from using him or her as a scapegoat for political contretemps.

The other likely feature in the contract of a CEO brought on board to turnaround an ailing business, is some (significant) incentive to raise the ‘value’ of the business, either if the business is subsequently floated and receives a significant injection of new investor capital or is sold – either way shareholders of the company agree to reward a CEO for increasing their wealth and this can often result in the CEO receiving millions in compensation.

This is ‘normal’. There is nothing exceptional about such an agreement and therefore nothing can be implied about the intentions of either Proton or Bahar, without further evidence that a plan had been hatched to deliberately exploit Group Lotus for the short-term benefit of either DRB-HICOM/Proton or the Lotus CEO.

* * *

Despite the Telegraph being unable to reach Lotus for comment, I found it to be quite straightforward to reach out to Lotus’ Director of Communications, Thomas Hofmann, who responding to my request in less than 20 minutes.

As expected he was unable to comment on the specifics of Bahar’s director contract, but he was able to confirm that:

Fair enough. That sounds like the kind of neutral statement one would expect from a corporate communications man.

He went on to explain:

As already said, it’s in the nature of a CEO’s employ when turning around a non profit making business, to focus on an earn-out from its potential sale or flotation.

Whether such a transaction goes ahead depends very much on what most benefits the shareholders of the business, and therefore it’s entirely possible that Dany’s lottery ticket may in fact NOT come up during his time at the helm of Group Lotus.

So, as the standard line used by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the movie, Men in Black says – “Move Along, Nothing To See Here.”

Hopefully this helps you draw your own conclusions from the news you read, without getting blown along a path by yet another poorly researched exposé.

We spoke with Lotus this afternoon and you can read their responses below. There are still a number of questions outstanding, which we will update in this article when we hear back from them tomorrow. [Click Here to read the latest update]

Just 6 months ago a grant of £10.4m was made from the UK Regional Growth Fund to assist in the development of Lotus’ new models, with CEO Dany Bahar promising to create up to 1,200 new jobs for the region. Bahar said to BBC News at the time, “It was always our intention from the beginning to create jobs in the region, especially in the automotive manufacturing industry in the UK, which was an issue.” Business Secretary Vince Cable, said during his tour of Hethel’s facilities last July, “We do need companies like Lotus. The British car industry was written off years ago and is now really reviving.”

Proton’s Satria Neo R3, a limited-edition 145bhp 1.6-litre model painted in Lotus Racing colours. Is this what Malaysian or Chinese owners have in mind for the brand?

Whilst the future plans of DRB-HICOM remain in doubt, the promised regional growth funding for Lotus has now been put on hold. Ministers remain committed to keeping Lotus in Norfolk, and keen to support Lotus provided it creates new jobs for the region.

* * *

Meanwhile DRB-HICOM has been eager to distance itself from the highly publicised issues at Group Lotus, whilst Bahar is keen to ingratiate himself with any new buyers and secure their support for his future plans.

One such buyer is the current Lotus F1 Team owners Genii Capital, who confirmed over the weekend that it was considering making an offer for Group Lotus and told the BBC that it respected the “historic link” between Lotus and Norfolk.

Some of the challenges facing Lotus are perfectly normal in the greater scheme of things, Lotus (and Bahar’s plans for the car maker) are heavily dependent on the leveraged support of banks and shareholders and with DRB-HICOM’s acquisition of Proton, these were always likely to be disrupted.

Naturally, whilst DRB-HICOM undertook their post-acquisition due diligence, the financing was stopped and since the operation of its business depended on outside capital, Lotus were unable to meet some of their bills during the intervening months.

Without wishing to get stuck on semantics, whilst the above response may indeed be true from Lotus’ perspective, the information coming out from Malaysia casts a somewhat different light on the situation.

* * *

Coinciding with last week’s media storm, news then emerged that Group Lotus boss Dany Bahar had together with another Lotus director, Azman Bin Abdullah, registered the company, Lotus Youngman UK Automotive Company Limited at Companies House on January 13th 2012.

This was just three days before the sale of Proton was announced, prompting speculation that it was little more than a shell company, set up as a vehicle to facilitate the purchase of Lotus assets in an eventual sale.

China Youngman Automobile Group, who build and sell cars in China using a Lotus developed platform, were involved in a failed $446 million offer last year to buy the ailing Swedish car maker, Saab. Youngman sells passenger cars in China for the domestic market, including the L3 and L5 models, which are engineered with the assistance of Lotus Engineering and based on Proton running gear.

Norfolk MP, Richard Bacon, has called for an emergency debate in the House of Commons to review what is being done to safeguard jobs at Hethel. He said in an interview with Eastern Daily Press, “The government’s policies are designed to encourage more jobs not fewer, and last year the government promised more than £10m of its regional growth fund to Lotus. I want to hear what ministers are thinking about that and what they are planning to do.”

Bacon went on to say, “Lotus Youngman was incorporated in January 2012, so this raises serious questions as to why the Malaysian stock exchange wasn’t informed until last Thursday.”

British Prime Minister, David Cameron, told the House of Commons today (18/4) that he had raised the issue of Group Lotus with the Malaysian Prime Minister and its new owners. He also said that “..he is monitoring the situation closely”.

If this is indeed the case, then this may be yet another ‘storm in a teacup’, but one wonders why Lotus allowed such perceptions to form, given the scrutiny its business has been under these past few weeks.

Further questions..

The key issue at this juncture is one of trust. The ‘drip-drip’ of information, together with Bahar’s continued dismissal of any concerns is not the most prudent way for Lotus to regain its credibility.

One of the questions which remains outstanding is why the Malaysian stock exchange was only notified about Lotus Youngman UK Automotive Company Limited last week.

It’s a genuine concern and should be straightforward enough for Lotus to answer. We’ll let you know what they say.

* * *

Lotus have been keen to defuse any misunderstanding caused by their relationship with China Youngman, and generous with their time in providing further information on the points that we raised.

Our understanding is that whilst none of this precludes a future deal, for the time being discussions about the ownership of Group Lotus, should DRB-HICOM choose to sell, remain open and therefore no decision has been made which would adversely impact Lotus employees in Hethel.

More than ever, this week’s musings of allegations, contradictions, suppositions and bile have been dominating automotive content on the blogosphere, Twitter and mainstream media, but at the heart of this lie real issues relating to a much-loved marque, that now overshadow the livelihoods of many around the world.

Latest position

So what is really going on? And what, if anything, can be done to keep good people building great cars in Hethel?

We’ve spent the past 24 hours speaking to both sides of the situation, both here in the UK and Malaysia, gaining insight into the thinking of Lotus’ new owners and the steps they are now taking.

What next for Lotus?

None of us should be in any doubt how valuable Lotus Cars could be, under the right management. But it needs the scale and industrial processes of a major car maker, so that the undeniably talented folk at Hethel can do what they do best – make the best handling, most rewarding sportscars that money can buy.

With today’s customer expecting great performance, all the creature comforts AND a 7-year warranty, it’s simply not possible to deliver this at mainstream prices without significant economies of scale. This is something that has been hurting Lotus for quite some time and whilst financing is part of the problem, it makes no sense to re-invent the wheel and carry the burden of being a start-up.

Lotus need a new owner, someone who understands their brand, can use the synergies of their existing business to bridge the investment gap and keep one of the world’s best known marques open for business.

We know it’s possible. Just look at the success Volkswagen has had with Bentley, or BMW with Rolls-Royce and MINI. Our most iconic car makers can thrive in the right environment. And with Lotus back in Formula 1, the brand is now reaching the eyeballs of more than 500 million TV viewers worldwide.

Yesterday, a Lotus Exige S trounced the old Exige Cup 260′s lap time around the Hethel test track, recording a time of 1 min 32.68 seconds (Exige cup 260 – 1 min 37.90 seconds). If that’s not progress, I don’t know what is. Let’s hope we see plenty more of such achievements in the years to come.

DRB-HICOM, who now control Lotus’s owner, Proton, were originally formed by combining The Heavy Industries Corporation of Malaysia Berhad (HICOM) and Diversified Resources Berhad (DRB). Their mission is to make Malaysia a preferred automotive hub, for the import and assembly of vehicles and subsequent distribution across South East Asia.

Unsurprisingly, Lotus do not feature in the plans of such a business.

Malaysia has dropped behind Thailand and Indonesia in terms of the volume of vehicles produced and may even slip behind Vietnam. In its purchase of Proton, DRB-HICOM is focused on developing the most effective business plan to return Proton (and therefore Malaysia) to the top spot and removing anything that might hinder that goal.

As such we learned two things yesterday; DRB-HICOM has installed a new senior management team in Proton (replacing Proton MD Syed Zainal) and the decision has already been taken to cease all current and future investment into Group Lotus operations.

Moreover, the relentless negative attention about the sportscar maker’s future mean that the order has also been put-out to either sell Lotus – and to do so quickly – or to simply close-up shop and put an end to the car maker and the losses it incurs.

This is confirmed from our fact finding earlier this week. We also understand Lotus CEO Dany Bahar is involved in discussions (he’s certainly been noticeably absent from any outgoing publicity these past few weeks) to quickly find a buyer and establish a role for himself in any ongoing business.

As viewed from Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (the Malaysian federal capital), the situation has escalated to one of national embarrassment and Proton’s new keepers have been told to deal with the situation and to do it swiftly.

* * *

Turning to how Lotus might be saved and suddenly the situation becomes far more contentious.

Of the three most obvious candidates, two (Genii Capital and Tony Fernandes) might both be able to allow the Lotus name to continue, but face strong opposition from within Malaysia’s political and commercial elite; Genii because of the perception that they were participants in a conspiracy to acquire Lotus through stealth, and Fernandes because of the negative way that he has sought to engage Lotus, especially on the back of his acquisition of Caterham Cars.

Unlike Genii, Fernandes does enjoy some support from a number of junior Proton executives, but it is the establishment calling the shots and they’ve made their position very clear.

This leaves Pang Qingnian’s “Youngman” Group. Youngman, based in Jinhua, China, which already has a significant working relationship with both Lotus and Proton, producing a handful of “engineered by Lotus” models, and is both financially and structurally capable of making the investment required to acquire Lotus and to take it in whatever direction it chooses.

What’s not so clear is which direction this would be and how it would impact the many hundreds of dedicated employees in the UK, Europe, Asia and the USA.

In an ideal world, Lotus needs to find someone with the time, passion, resource, and above all, realism, to not only deal with the enormity of the task but to also consider how the marque can be carried forward to future generations.

One of the biggest challenges facing such a niche business is continuity; just as TVR became nothing without Peter Wheeler, so Lotus has waned without Colin Chapman. Much, of course, relates to money, but far more has to do with personality and leadership.

* * *

But this is only one difficulty facing any potential “white knight”.

Of more immediate concern will be how to justify the type of investment required that might allow Lotus to regain its reputation and future revenue potential. By this, I’m not referring to the recent multi-car ‘New Era’ plan but rather, a return to what the company is good at; building light-weight, affordable sports cars.

Lotus has a new V8 engine on the dyno, a stunning new test track at Hethel and some real engineering ‘substance’ behind all the recent marketing razzmatazz.

It is going to need courage, cash and above-all, a human face to deliver a return to key brand values and to rebuild the relationships with staff, customers, dealers and the media. This is what makes a business out of a brand.

For Lotus, time is now critical, and no-doubt over the weekend, there will be yet more derision cast in Hethel’s direction. And whilst we, the curious, read and reply to posts and threads on the internet, it’s important to remember that there are others who will be wondering when they’ll receive their next pay cheque.

As for the future, if the Lotus legacy is to continue, all I can do is to hope that it will be under the guiding hand of someone capable of instilling in the hearts and minds of men, women and children everywhere, that in an uncertain world, one thing they can aspire to is that some day, they too might own a Lotus.

However speculation continues apace that trouble is deepening at Hethel. Lotus sold just 10 cars in the UK last month, up from February’s performance of just 2 cars. Sales in the UK are down 70-80%, compared to this time last year, and our contacts in Malaysia tell us that Proton are looking closely at how to save face during the intense scrutiny of DRB-Hicom’s due diligence process.

So, we know Lotus are under a great deal of pressure at the moment and our thoughts go to the many hard-working folk in Hethel, who are dealing with the daily onslaught of questions.

In the light of continued speculation, Lotus has taken the extraordinary step this evening and released a full statement to dispel the most recent rumours and clarify the present situation. It’s an unconventional approach to calming down a PR crisis, especially considering how personally they’ve written the statement, but perhaps it reflects just how serious the situation has become.

And finally..

Last week we put together a satirical piece on Lotus CEO Dany Bahar, we wrote it as a light-hearted parody of the internet meme initiated by Samantha Brick’s article on the downsides of looking pretty.

Perhaps now would be a good time to share it and help lighten the mood..

* * *

‘There are downsides to being this gifted’: why people hate me for being so brilliant

In an EXCLUSIVE fictitious interview with the man himself, Dany revealed what it’s like to be so misunderstood..

“At a recent motor show, I was delighted when a journalist came over and paid me a compliment about my circle of famous friends, rewarding me with an article in his national newspaper right next to a piece about my good friend Swizz Beatz.

This was from a leading journalist – not one of those misguided and uninformed hacks from the UK press, who seem obsessed with how well our cars reflect the vision of some flat-cap wearing engineer called Colin Chapman.

You’re probably thinking ‘what a lovely surprise’ to be on the receiving end of such reverence. But while it’s wonderful to see people recognise my social achievements, it wasn’t a surprise. At least not for me.

You see, throughout my business career, I’ve had people pay me compliments for the cut of my hand-made suits, my superstar good looks and the sparkle I add to even the most humble board room.

Take Ferrari for instance, when I joined, an old guy working out of a small brick house at Fiorano called all the shots. He had no style or charisma and acted like he owned the place.

As Senior Vice-President of Ferrari’s Sales, Marketing and Communications, I single-handedly turned this company into the most desirable automotive brand in the world – all my celebrity friends say so, therefore it must be true.

As reward for my achievements I was showered with untold riches, then asked to head up a small Norfolk-based company in need of some sparkle. And whenever I’ve asked what I’ve done to deserve such treatment, the shareholders of each company have always said the same thing: my good looks, cocky demeanour and wunderkind aura that brightens up their day.

While I’m no Richard Branson, I’m trim, fit and have Sharon Stone on speed dial, and from what I tell myself, I’m gifted and uniquely brilliant. I know how lucky I am. To be me.

But there are downsides to being so brilliant – the main one being that other people seem to hate me for no other reason than I’m better than them.

If you’re a car enthusiast or journalist reading this, I’d hazard that you’ve already formed your own opinion about me — and it won’t be very flattering. For while many opportunities have been offered to me (literally) as a result of my engaging personality and film-star looks, just as many have been wrenched away — usually by those most jealous of my achievements and fearful that I’ll make them look bad.

As Chief Operating Officer for Red Bull, I put in place the groundwork for two world championships, but despite my success, was never asked to jump in the team pool at the Monaco grand prix.

You’d think they would have lifted me on their shoulders and cheered, but I guess people don’t want to hang out with someone more talented than them.

I’m not smug and I’m no fool, but over the years I’ve been ignored by countless colleagues and acquaintances who felt threatened if they were in the same room as me.

Let’s face it, I’m a winner. Not many people can say that.

But when ex-F1 world champions or politicians hang out at my Norfolk crib, all of a sudden I read ill-informed articles in the press saying I’m just some playboy. What do they know? How many of them are on speaking terms with Julia Roberts?

It’s not easy being so brilliant, I spend my days surrounded by people who will never know the taste of Cristal, but you won’t hear me complain nor curse their stupidity.

So now I’m in the headlines again and my bosses at Proton think I’ve made them look foolish. They talk about ‘saving face’ and ‘finding a scapegoat’.  But even if they are right, what have they got to lose?

Don’t they realise? I’m the one with the glittering career at risk..

It is 20 years since Giovanna Amati drove for the Brabham F1 team (coincidentally the outfit Bernie Ecclestone ran during most of the 1970s and 1980s), but Williams are the only team to have won a grand prix with a female driver. Back in 1980, Desiré Wilson won at Brands Hatch in the British Aurora F1 series, securing her name in the record books.

Now Williams take the lead, yet again, confirming today that Susie Wolff will join the team as its Development Driver.

Born in Oban, Scotland, Susie Wolff (formerly, Susie Stoddart) has had the classic racing career, beginning in karting and then moving to junior single-seater series and was twice nominated for the prestigious Young Driver of the Year Award before moving up to DTM. In 2012, Susie will contest her seventh season in DTM.

[Read Matt Roberts "Q&A with Susie Stoddart - DTM Race Driver for AMG Mercedes"]

Frank Williams, Team Principal of the Williams F1 Team, said, “Susie is a talented, successful and highly professional racing driver who competes in one of the world’s most fiercely-contested racing series. Susie will join Williams as a Development Driver, in which capacity she will assist us with the development of our simulator and other technical challenges.

“Susie will also undertake some aerodynamic testing of the FW34 and a full track test in the coming months. Susie will also attend a number of races with us. I should add that, as Susie is married to Toto Wolff, a Director of Williams, her appointment was carefully considered and then approved by the Board, with Toto recusing himself from the process.”

Susie Wolff said, “I would like to thank Sir Frank for giving me this opportunity both on and off the track. I must also thank Mercedes Benz AMG and HWA for supporting me to take up this new experience with Williams. Formula One is the ultimate challenge for any racing driver and it offers me the chance both to apply and to improve the skills I have developed racing in DTM.

“In return I shall be offering some of my own technical insight and experience – coming from a different discipline – and helping the team engage with its partners. I hope also to demonstrate that women can play a role at the highest levels of motorsport and I shall be working closely with the team on its social responsibility programme in the areas of education and road safety.”

Bernie Ecclestone, Chief Executive of Formula One, welcomed the announcement with an unsuitably sexist remark, saying: “If Susie is as quick in a car as she looks good out of a car then she will be a massive asset to any team and on top of that she is very intelligent. I am really looking forward to having her in Formula One.”

Oh well, Bernie will be Bernie..

It will be the 30th anniversary of the death of Gilles Villeneuve exactly one month from yesterday, and his memory is still vivid and alive in the minds of many at Maranello.

May 8th, 1982 – Zolder, Belgium

There are three dates that I will always remember in a lifetime spent enjoying Formula 1 – the tragic losses of Jim Clark, 7 April 1968 (Hockenheim, Germany), Gilles Villeneuve, May 8th, 1982 (Zolder, Belgium), and Ayrton Senna, 1 May 1994 (San Marino, Italy).

I’ve since visited the fateful spots where Clark and Senna lost their lives, but I’ll try and visit Zolder in this memorial year, to pay my respects to Ferrari’s most likeable and talented driver.

His talent, his speed, his bravery which bordered on recklessness, all go to make his name still hugely popular with Ferrari fans, even among those too young to have watched him race.

To commemorate the date in a special way, Ferrari has decided to reunite the Villenueve name and his famous race car at the venue where it all began, Ferrari’s Fiorano track in Maranello.

It seems a fitting way to evoke the memory of a man who has, and always will, have a special place of honour in the history of Ferrari.

His son Jacques went on to become Formula 1 World Champion in 1997 whilst driving for Williams Renault F1, a title that his father would surely have claimed several times over, before leaving the sport in 2006.

Jacques never drove for Ferrari in Formula 1, but he did get to taste his dad’s 312 T4 at the 2004 Goodwood Festival of Speed, so it will be a special feeling to get behind the wheel again at Ferrari’s home track.

* * *

Where are they now? – Jacques Villenueve

In recent years, Jacques has been competing in the Andros Trophy with Team Skoda and will return to circuit racing in 2013 in the inaugural i1 Super Series – competing for a prize fund of $2 million USD in Radical sports cars. T

he series featuring 9 teams of 18 drivers will be run across 5 venues including Sepang, Malaysia; Sakhir, Bahrain; Losail, Qatar; BIC, India and Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi.

Jacques will be competing against a cast of top ex-F1 drivers including Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jean Alesi, Giancarlo Fisichella, Karun Chandhok, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Mika Salo, Neel Jani and Alex Yoong.

Photo credits: Ferrari, Jacques Villeneuve, Victor Varela (Remembering Gilles Villeneuve)