high court

It will come as no surprise to anyone who's been following Group Lotus recently, that Dany Bahar, who was fired as CEO back in June this year, has initiated a claim for £6.7m ($10.6 million) against his former employers for "unlawful early termination of his employment".

The golden heads of rapeseed flowers wallowed loftily next to a lush green Duxford meadow last Wednesday. A more fitting backdrop to the stunning livery of the new Team Lotus Caterham could surely never be found.

It's been no secret that Corven, the private equity group who funded the buy-out of Caterham from the Nearn family, have long been seeking to retrench their investment. Despite a barrage of gilded PR, the introduction of new models, and ventures with household names ranging from Top Gear to Marks & Spencer, life since 2005 has not been easy for the Dartford outfit.