Glancing down the F1 roster this year has lead to a little confusion for many. That’s because there are two teams that lay claim to the Lotus name, and they’re both powered by Renault. The French automaker and engine supplier is stuck in the middle of the naming-rights tug-of-war, but if you were hoping things might be clarified for next season, don’t hold your breath. Because while the real Lotus continues its partnership with Renault over one team (the one in the black and gold in the middle of the pack), Renault has also renewed its partnership with the other Lotus (the one in the green and yellow near the back of the field).

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The agreement between Team Lotus and Renault Sport F1 will see the two collaborating (read: the former buying engines from the latter) for another couple of seasons until the end of 2013, and leaves the door open for further collaboration when the new engine regulations take effect. But the new deal also brings Red Bull into the fold, the championship team providing Team Lotus with the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) for the first time since it began racing a couple of years ago.

The inclusion of Red Bull’s KERS in the engine package not only gives Team Lotus a chance at advancing up the grid from its current backmarker position to challenge the teams that already have it farther upfield. But it also further cements Red Bull’s position as Renault’s premier team in place of the other Lotus team that was once the French company’s factory outfit.
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