Renault "is poised to confirm it will remain in Formula 1 after finally completing its purchase of Lotus," according to Ian Parkes of AUTOSPORT. Almost 10 weeks after announcing it had signed a letter of intent regarding the potential acquisition of Lotus, and months after negotiations initially started, "it now appears the final hurdles have been crossed and the deal has been signed." Over the course of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, "the deal appeared to be in the balance," with talks taking place between F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone and Renault Sport President Jérôme Stoll. On the table "was the need to find a compromise solution over Renault receiving a share of the constructors' championship bonus and historical payments." That resulted in Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn "spending the last few days assessing Ecclestone's final financial offer, with the 61-year-old believed to have now given the green light." It means Renault "will be back in F1 as a constructor for the first time since 2011, returning to Enstone where it enjoyed many years of success." Lotus CEO Matthew Carter said, "I've obviously my steer on it, but as far as I'm concerned they [Renault] are buying a much better team than when they left" (AUTOSPORT, 12/3).
