.
Former Williams and Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado believes his chances of returning to Formula 1 have likely permanently drifted away.
The man who brought Williams its 114th and last Grand Prix win, in Barcelona in 2012, moved into sportscar racing this year after a few sabbatical years, driving for DragonSpeed in the WEC's LMP2 class.
As Spa last weekend, Maldonado said he took advantage of the break in his career to "expand the family", but the 33-year-old Venezuelan also revealed that F1 was now a distant memory.
"I do not have any sponsors or financial support from my country as was the case before," he told Belgian daily La Dernière Heure.
"The situation of my countrymen is difficult, but given the climate in Venezuela, it can only get better," he added.
A controversial figure in Grand Prix racing known for his propensity to crash, Maldonado refuted the claims that Red Bull's Max Verstappen shares similarities with the flamboyant driving style he showed during his years in F1.
"Max is a fantastic driver," said Maldonado. "But he is still very young and so it's normal that he's still making mistakes.
"He needs to accumulate experience, but comparing him with me is inappropriate," he added.
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Just three years after its return to the championship calendar, Formula 1 has confirmed that…
Formula 1's engineers are rarely known for leaving performance opportunities untouched, and Monaco's unique regulatory…
Kimi Antonelli is learning quickly that leading a Formula 1 championship at Mercedes comes with…
Formula 1 moves on to its Crown Jewel this weekend, slightly later in the season…
Charles Leclerc may call Monaco home, but when it comes to handing out favourites’ tags…
As Formula 1 arrives in Monaco, Lando Norris is once again looking toward Ferrari as…