Official: Maldonado will stay with Lotus in 2016
While the future of the team remains uncertain, Lotus F1 Team has nevertheless confirmed that Pastor Maldonado will stay at Enstone next season.
Lotus F1 Team is still in advanced negotiations with Renault regarding a possible takeover, with the announcement expected before the end of the month. These crucial negotiations have hardly prevented Gerard Lopez’s team from conducting other talks with Pastor Maldonado, for a quicker and more favorable outcome: a contract extension for one season.
Gerard Lopez, the President of Lotus, welcomes this signing: « Publicly confirming that Pastor stays with us for the next season is a good decision for the future of Lotus F1 Team. Everyone at Enstone will confirm that Pastor is a personality who is great to work with, and we do not overlook the performances he is capable of delivering on track. We hope to announce more good news about the team’s future in the near future. »
Pastor Maldonado is also pleased to continue his collaboration with Lotus for a third season: « It’s great that the team can confirm my place as a race driver for 2016. Of course, there has been a lot of speculation about the future, but I have remained focused on my work. (…) There have been a number of challenges this season, but the quality of the Enstone team is beyond doubt. I really feel like a member of the Enstone family. »
Arriving at Lotus in 2014, Pastor Maldonado, regularly beaten by his teammate Romain Grosjean, never truly shone under its elegant Black and Gold colors. This Sunday, in Singapore, the Venezuelan, involved in a collision with Jenson Button, was even scolded by the English gentleman. However, Pastor Maldonado still benefits from his powerful oil sponsor, PDVSA, which, in a team facing considerable financial turmoil, acts as a kind of life insurance.
