Lotus, FIF1 lookalike - Aerolab rubbishes data-passing reports

[John S]

Could the accusations of copying their designs and data sharing be a smokescreen from FIF1 as part of a plan to stall the legal proceedings with Areolab?

Doesn't sense dictate that Fondtech and the Lotus team would be looking to copy a more successful car if they really have no ideas of their own?

By Pablo Elizalde Today, Autosport.com

Aerolab has rubbished suggestions that it has passed on Force India data to parent company Fondtech, amid reports that the Silverstone-based team is concerned about the similarities between its old car and the new Lotus.

Lotus's wind-tunnel model has been designed by Fondtech, a parent company to Aerolab, the aerodynamic engineering firm that worked with the Force India team until September this year.Both Fondtech and former Force India technical chief Mike Gascoyne are working on the Lotus team, which will make its Formula 1 return next year.

Sources suggested that Force India's senior management have been alarmed by the similarities between its old car and the Lotus's wind-tunnel model, of which the team released pictures last month.

Aerolab, however, has moved to deny any suggestions that it passed on car-design information to Lotus.Furthermore, the company said it is taking legal action against Force India for "serious and persistent breaches of contract".

"It is quite unusual for us to comment on negative matters but we have been given no other choice but to make public the facts after press reports in recent days suggested that Aerolab has passed on information to parent company Fondtech which enjoys a close technical relationship with Lotus F1 Racing," said Aerolab's managing director Jean-Claude Migeot.

"These rumours are designed only to tarnish the company's reputation and professionalism and to divert attention away from the facts. The truth is that Aerolab is suing Force India for not fulfilling its obligations."

Aerolab said its legal case was still pending and subject to review.

[Jericoke]

If you're going to outsource the design of your car, it's going to be difficult to enforce the designer from using good ideas on another car they've been contracted for.  Even if the designs themselves were never passed along, the same company is going to have the same ideas, the same philosophy, the same testing methodology.  While there's many ways to make an F1 car, if you've already made one that performed pretty good, how can you design a better one that has nothing in common?