Lotus: Boullier addresses the rumor of his resignation

Eric Boullier wanted to put an end to the rumor that appeared over the weekend of December 14 and 15, indicating that he had resigned from his position as director of the Lotus team. After making several rounds on the internet without ever being confirmed by those involved, Lotus, Renault Sport or even Force India (to whom he was reportedly headed), this rumor seems to fit into the numerous series of false information spread by individuals whose credibility is sometimes questionable.

Interviewed by Agnes Carlier, a journalist for the German publication *Speed Week*, Eric Boullier recalled the moment when the rumor of his departure appeared on social networks, circulated by certain websites: « On the ground, everything was quite normal. We were preparing for the 2014 season, I was rushing from one meeting to another, days started early and ended late. Every day was intense. And then this story came up. »

This story, as the current director of the Enstone team says, started from two tweets published by Bianca Garloff, a journalist for Sport Bild, on Saturday, December 14, in which she claimed that the French technician had resigned, demobilized by the « chaos » within Lotus F1. Subsequently, it was relayed multiple times, notably by an individual claiming to be an independent F1 journalist – impossible to identify – who stated having spoken with Eric Boullier himself, with Boullier revealing that he had received an offer from the Force India team.

Supported by a tweet from Anthony Rowlinson, editor-in-chief of F1 Racing, the rumor gained significant momentum until Eric Boullier broke his silence via an SMS sent to Jean-Louis Moncet, a journalist for Auto Plus and Canal +, initially, then on Twitter, to indicate that he had not received any offers and that he had not resigned from Lotus F1, on December 14.

On Monday, December 16, Andrew Benson, head of the BBC sports department, claimed on Twitter that he had spoken with Eric Boullier and that he had not received any offer from Force India, thus contradicting statements made by the anonymous independent journalist a few days earlier. On Wednesday, December 17, it was Thibault Larue’s turn, a journalist and section head for the magazine Sport Auto, in the program “Les Spécialiste F1” on Canal + Sport, to explain that the origin of this rumor could be a maneuver by Colin Kolles, relayed by some German media, to take Eric Boullier’s place.

A situation that led the director of the Lotus team to communicate internally above all: « It’s not just that I had to defend myself externally, I had to gather the people at the factory and tell them it wasn’t true. Rumors spread quickly within a racing car factory. But they need to know that I’m still here and not going anywhere. »

The Lotus team, in financial difficulties, has reportedly already requested a postponement of the Jerez tests by one week, which has not been granted. However, Eric Boullier is hopeful that the Lotus E22 will be ready for its first laps on January 28: « It’s a moment where every minute counts, the car must be ready for the first winter tests in Jerez at the end of January. » However, he would have gladly done without the episode of the rumor of his departure: « So it was a huge waste of time and energy. »