Lotus trackside operations director Alan Permane says his team would welcome a Renault buyout with "open arms" as it continues to struggle financially.
Lotus scored its first podium since 2013 at the Belgian Grand Prix, but ended the weekend with bailiffs arriving outside its garage to stop cars and equipment leaving the circuit. Former reserve driver Charles Pic has taken Lotus to court over a claim it did not fulfil its side of a deal to give him time on track last year and, with the case going through an arbitration court, a court order prevented Lotus from taking certain pieces of equipment away from the circuit.
The team is confident it will resolve the Pic issue early this week, but has made no secret that it has had to hold back development this year due to its financial struggle. Permane said an injection of funds from a works deal with Renault would mean the team could once again focus on racing and challengfe at the front.
"The team is incredibly excited about it," he told Sky Sports. "We would welcome them [Renault] back with open arms obviously. We've got a great relationship and a great partnership with Mercedes, but to be a works team again would be fantastic.
"Then we can build on what we have now, build on the chassis we have this year and then try to emulate what we did with Renault in 2005 and 2006 [when they won the world title] - that is what we want to do."
He added: "We have had a very, very difficult season. This is the worst season we have had financially and we have scrimped and scraped for parts and to get the cars on the track is a massive effort each week. So to be able to stick it on the podium is just unbelievable.
"It has been a very, very hard weekend for us, especially Friday - we've had all kinds of money problems as people know - and to be able to put that behind us and do the business on the track has been great."