Lotus Racing has been granted full indemnity in a legal battle between aerodynamic design company Aerolab/Fondtech and the Force India team.
Force India is seeking damages from Fondtech/Aerolab because it believes it copied the team's wind tunnel design model in work it did for Lotus.
Aerolab/Fondtech has constantly denied claims that it passed on any data to Lotus. However, it called on Lotus as a co-defendant in the case, after giving the team assurances that it is not involved in the claim.
"Lotus Racing has been joined as a co-defendant in civil proceedings which are principally between Force India and Aerolab/Fondtech," said a Lotus spokesman. "These proceedings do not allege any wrongdoing on the part of Lotus Racing.
"Aerolab/Fondtech vigorously denies any wrongdoing and has provided Lotus Racing with a full indemnity in relation to the claim."
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Re: Lotus innocent in F1 'cheat' row
Last piece of gossip i heard about Lotus was that they've given up on this years car and are currently working on next years back marker!
Re: Lotus innocent in F1 'cheat' row
More likely was that it was a clean sheet design but the people who started with that clean sheet were the same ones who did the Force India design, therefore knew what they'd do different. In addition Lotus would have a different specification for chassis size, weight distribution and centre of pressure.
In short, whenever you do something you take the experience you've learned to the next job. Force India paid for that experience, Lotus then bought more of that experience!
Force India should concentrate on track racing.