Lotus F1

Lotus F1 was based on the former Renault team and raced from 2012 to 2015 in its black-and-gold identity. With Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean, it was highly competitive in 2012 and 2013 despite limited resources. Räikkönen won in Abu Dhabi in 2012 and Australia in 2013, while the team regularly fought near the front. Financial problems then worsened, and performance declined sharply from 2014. Renault eventually bought the team back. Lotus F1 was a short-lived but charismatic example of an independent-style team challenging wealthier rivals.