Former F1 team owner sent for trial on forgery charges

Lopez as president of Lotus Renault — Photo: © IMAGO

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Former F1 team owner sent for trial on forgery charges

Things are getting serious

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Thursday 17 September 2026 18:45

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Former F1 team owner Gerard Lopez is set to go on trial on forgery charges in his home country of Luxembourg at the end of the year.

Lopez, who bought the Renault F1 team through his Genii Capital investment firm before the start of the 2010 season, is accused of 'intellectual forgery' related to his time as an F1 team owner.

That Renault team became known at the Lotus F1 team shortly after Lopez took charge, and stayed that way until Renault bought the team back late in 2015.

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French newspaper Ouest-France report that the case is related to a 2014 transfer of €2m between his Lotus team and Luxembourg football club Fola Esch, who sit sixth in the second-tier Luxembourg Division of Honour at time of writing.

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Former Lotus F1 owner set for trial

Lopez and his Genii Group co-founder Eric Lux, representing Lotus, along with Fola Esch vice-president Mauro Mariani and Francois Dele, will appear in court over the transaction and associated documentation.

The defendants claim that the money was intended for a youth player development program at the club, but it's alleged that documents justifying part of the transaction were forged.

At least some of the money was allegedly transferred by the club to Lopez and to one of Lux's companies abroad, leading to suspicions of money laundering. Lopez, at the time, was also president of the Luxembourgish club.

An appeal aiming to get the case thrown out was rejected in the summer, leaving Lopez and Lux facing trial in the winter. The alleged offence carries a sentence of three months to five years in prison.

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