Pastor Maldonado confesses he is not entirely sure about his and Lotus’ future in Formula One, despite having a contract for 2016.
The Venezuelan was confirmed at Enstone in the wake of the Singapore Grand Prix, but Lotus’ financial state remains perilously precarious amidst cash-flow problems and a series of legal actions.
Although “a letter of intent” was signed “regarding the potential acquisition by Renault of a controlling stake in Lotus F1 Team Ltd”, little progress has since been made towards finding a satisfactory solution.
As talks between the French constructor and its former works outfit drag on, Maldonado admits that doubts start creeping in.
“Who knows? I hope so…”, replied the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix winner when asked whether he had been given any guarantees about his team competing next year.
“Negotiations are still going on. It was looking like something simpler at the beginning of the season, now it’s getting long. Maybe it’s something that should happen soon, who knows?
“In this kind of negotiations there are always ups and downs, you never know, you are never sure. I just wish the best for the team and we are fully ready to work in any conditions.”
While Maldonado says Lotus’ financial struggles can have “painful” consequences – like being locked out of the hospitality in Japan two weeks ago –, the 30-year-old is confident the team’s foundations are sound.
“For my future, I think it was the right decision to stay here because of the background we have in the factory, the quality of team people, I think it’s one of the best teams in Formula One.
“The only problem is the financial thing. We have the car from the beginning of the season and we are still fighting for the points. Imagine if we had the potential to develop our car in the right direction, maybe we would not be winning races because Mercedes has everything they need to be where they are at the moment, but we'd be much closer to Ferrari and Williams than we are at the moment.”
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