Maldonado to Lotus

[5RedLights]

All confirmed.

http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/12040/9048842/pa...

Lotus should be ashamed, although thankfully I imagine they'll be too far down the grid now to really notice. Hope they're building lots of spare parts!

[retrorider]

Maldo has funds,Lotus need funds.Deal done...

[rubystone]

5RedLights said:

All confirmed.

http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/12040/9048842/pa...

Lotus should be ashamed, although thankfully I imagine they'll be too far down the grid now to really notice. Hope they're building lots of spare parts!

Why? They have done hugely well on a tight budget. I guess you thought the same when he took his millions to Wiiliams and did Rubens out of a drive?

The Quantum deal may or may not happen, but Lux and Lopez are businessmen used to taking risks in their VC life. Maldonado is one heck of a good stop-loss! And he's a decent enough driver too.

[Vocal Minority]

5RedLights said:

All confirmed.


Lotus should be ashamed,

Very easy to say when it isn't your business and employees you are trying to keep going.

[rubystone]

Vocal Minority said:

Very easy to say when it isn't your business and employees you are trying to keep going.

That's the essence of it all. They run a tight ship at Enstone and if rumours that they weren't paying suppliers and staff is true, it would be madness not to take Maldonado

[woof]

I was told yesterday that he brings $40million every season.
To put that into perspective Lewis Hamilton get's paid around $20million, Jenson I think was on $10million.
Also found out that Perez wasn't on a wage - he brought $20million to Mclaren

[skeggysteve]

Lotus F1 Team on Twitter:

You never forget your first time

[anonymous-user]

rubystone said:

Vocal Minority said:

Very easy to say when it isn't your business and employees you are trying to keep going.

That's the essence of it all. They run a tight ship at Enstone and if rumours that they weren't paying suppliers and staff is true, it would be madness not to take Maldonado

But it won't make that big a difference will it? If $40M is right that's not enough to solve their financial problems, which means their development programme will suffer leaving them potentially with a poor car and now they've got two drivers unable to contribute to that development in a positive way and one who won't be able to contribute in any way at all.

Doesn't look good at all.

[Durzel]

Money talks.

[juansolo]

Durzel said:

Money talks.

...and mediocrity drives.

[VolvoT5]

ugh really.... so many other drivers 'deserve' a chance in that seat long before Maldonado. Having said that I'm not convinced Lotus will be a top team next year; I assume no quantum cash (did it ever exist), loss of technical staff, loss of their star driver, plus debts.

[bishbash]

skeggysteve said:

Lotus F1 Team on Twitter:

You never forget your first time

Vid - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOj8GoJ3CPg

[LiamM45]

VolvoT5 said:

ugh really.... so many other drivers 'deserve' a chance in that seat long before Maldonado. Having said that I'm not convinced Lotus will be a top team next year; I assume no quantum cash (did it ever exist), loss of technical staff, loss of their star driver, plus debts.

Agree, its completely possible that Williams could swap places with Lotus next year. Rumour has it the Renault engine still has it's flaws.

[simonpeter]

It`s OK for Eddie Jordan and the money men of F1 to say the sport has always been the same. It hasn`t, there have been many drivers who have come into F1 over the last decades with nothing more than a crash helmet. Talent is now surely a nice add on to bring with the sponsors dosh. I know we have had the odd Hector Rebaques (Brabham, alongside Piquet) over the years but they used to be the loaded minority. Reckon Bernie couldn`t care less.

[bishbash]

I think the rules regarding Super licenses should be much stricter, but to be fair on Pastor he did win GP2 which should be enough for a drive in F1.

[RichB]

simonpeter said:

Reckon Bernie couldn`t care less.

Indeed, there was a time when Ecclestone tried to engineer drivers into certain teams in order to maintain the quality of the series. Now I doubt he cares less.

[Justaredbadge]

juansolo said:

...and mediocrity drives.

Unfortunately he is anything but mediocre.

He's a pretty handy driver with very good financial backing who just happens to be a complete thug.

Should have teamed up with Sutil in a caterham so they could knock seven bells of st out of each other at the back of the grid.

[FiremanRob]

Just out of interest, is F1 the only sport to use pay-drivers ? Personally I think it is a bad thing. I cannot see what good the "young" teams are doing for the sport. They cannot achieve much because they have no cash, they will never break into the big time, and have to take the crap drivers, just because they bring cash.
When you watch the likes of Chilton moving over for the big boys, which he is obviously obliged to do, and loosing shed loads of time in the process, is he ACTUALLY racing at all, or just cruising around.

[dtrump]

While I dont really like maldo, the things he says and the fact that he has lots of PDVSA money, you cannot deny that the guy can be very fast and has shown that he could truly be very rapido

Lets see
At least his monies might develop a nice wagon for frecnhie to steer


or perhaps,.... they crash.......into eachother............everyother race

[Vaud]

LiamM45 said:

Agree, its completely possible that Williams could swap places with Lotus next year. Rumour has it the Renault engine still has it's flaws.

Lots of rumours. No facts.