Lotus: Boullier talks about Maldonado, Räikkönen and Quantum

The recruitment of Pastor Maldonado by Lotus, replacing Kimi Räikkönen who left for Ferrari, has generated a lot of discussion among observers of the sport, whether they are experts or just spectators. In the distant duel between the Venezuelan and Nico Hülkenberg, the latter benefits from the image of a genuinely talented driver who lacks funding, while Maldonado is considered a “pay-driver” in the most pejorative sense.

A vision of things that hardly suits Eric Boullier, director of Lotus F1, interviewed by Sky Sports: « He’s a nice guy, he’s a fast guy. He won a race in Formula 1 and it was on merit, he didn’t win by luck. » Pastor Maldonado won the Spanish Grand Prix in 2012, leading Fernando Alonso by a few seconds after being under pressure for part of the race.

The 2013 season was less fruitful, and the inconsistency of the South American driver was highlighted. Eric Boullier believes there is work to be done to improve this: « I think we just need to make sure he can maintain his focus – in fact, it’s the same problem we had with Romain last year – on the track. » Last year and at the beginning of 2013, Romain Grosjean was often criticized for his inconsistency, before impressing observers by achieving four podiums in the last six races. « I am sure that with the right support and the team around him, we can do something beautiful with Pastor. »

The financial situation of the team dictated the recruitment of the driver supported by Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA, whose contribution is estimated at around 30 million dollars per year, even though Eric Boullier had preferred Nico Hülkenberg. The delay in the agreement between Genii, owner of Lotus, and Quantum Motorsport, an Asian investment fund—which had been announced as completed several races before the end of the season—regarding the purchase of 35% of Genii’s shares by Quantum Motorsport, ultimately prevented the arrival of the German driver in favor of the Maldonado solution, departing from Williams.

The director of Lotus does not rule out the possibility of an agreement with Quantum: « We are still confident that something will happen. But timing is an issue. » Time is money and money is a means to develop an F1 car: « Of course, with Pastor there is financial support, which is what we currently need. […] Even though Genii is deeply involved in fundraising for the team, there are some solutions that need to be found. And it’s true that Quantum Motorsport is the best we have, but timing is everything, especially in Formula 1. We need to unveil a car in less than eight weeks now. »

Asked about Kimi Räikkönen’s departure for salary reasons, Eric Boullier regretted the situation: « It regularly appeared in the media, and in fact, it became increasingly tiring to see these stories dragging on for months. It’s not the kind of image you want to present or the kind of publicity you want to have. » While he understands the Finn’s choice to join Ferrari, he believes it wasn’t his primary choice: « Obviously, I know the situation, and I wasn’t surprised that Kimi was tempted to leave, even though I knew it would be against his will, which was to stay, let’s say. »