Lotus have arrived and are setting up their cars as normal in the Monza paddock ahead of this weekend’s Italian GP as speculation about their future continues to swirl.
The team's transporters, which were impounded after the Belgian GP a fortnight ago as part of a dispute with former test driver Charles Pic, arrived on Wednesday, with the cash-strapped team now expected to race on Sunday despite the question marks that currently surround them.
On Thursday morning the team's mechanics were in the garage continuing to build up both E23 cars ahead of the start of the weekend's track running on Friday.
Renault have reportedly made an offer to buy back a 65 per cent stake – said to be worth £65m – in the Enstone-based outfit, with whom they won back-to-back world titles in 2005-06.
Meanwhile, with creditors owed money and Bernie Ecclestone quoted as saying that he paid the team's wages in August, it has also been reported that Lotus are subject to an administration hearing in court next week.
There is still no word as to whether Lotus have accepted Renault's offer, although the deal would apparently maintain a 25 per cent stake for current co-owner Genii Capital, who originally acquired a stake from the French manufacturer in 2009.
Although the payments to take back ownership would be staggered over a 10-year period, Renault would also apparently put together the sponsorship package required for the team's operating budget.
Moreover, with four-time world champion and former Renault driver Alain Prost also set to acquire a small stake in the team, the suggestion is that the 60-year-old would serve as its public face, perhaps as team principal.
At least matters seem more certain for Lotus on track, particularly after their strong result in Belgium, where Romain Grosjean finished third behind Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
The Frenchman said he is hoping for more of the same this weekend. "On paper, Monza should suit our car better than Spa so in theory a podium could be possible again," Grosjean said. "Of course, we don't know how our performance relative to our rivals will stack up until we get there, but I'm certainly going out for the strongest result possible, as I always do."