Lotus F1 close to announcing its second driver for 2016

After having confirmed earlier in the season the renewal of Pastor Maldonado’s contract, the Lotus team had to come to terms with the idea of letting their driver Romain Grosjean go. Indeed, the Frenchman chose to change scenery and join the new American project led by Gene Haas, which will start in 2016, with a close partnership with Ferrari.

Since then, several names have been circulating to replace the Geneva native. Joylon Palmer, currently the team’s third driver, is obviously part of this list. But the Briton is not the only choice available to Federico Gastaldi and his team. Among them, Kevin Magnussen, recently sidelined by McLaren, and Jean-Eric Vergne, edged out at Haas by his compatriot Grosjean, are serious contenders.

But according to Gastaldi, this choice is about to be announced soon: « We don’t want to reveal anything before it’s announced, but we’ve talked to a lot of drivers and we have a pretty clear idea of who will be in the car next year. »

It won’t be long before we know Maldonado’s teammate for the 2016 season: « Time is passing inexorably, we are getting closer and closer to the future, so yes, we are close to making an announcement. »

For his part, the Venezuelan would like to be associated with an experienced driver, especially if the partnership with Renault is confirmed: “If Renault comes, we won’t start from scratch but almost. We will therefore need a good atmosphere and a competitive driver who will help us push the team to reach a good level quickly. I would prefer someone with experience.”

Regarding Renault, Gastaldi remains confident about the progress of the talks: “There is an underlying desire to strengthen trust in Enstone and as we have a positive outlook for the future, this will become evident shortly. I am positive and I know we are doing everything possible to capitalize on the upcoming opportunities.”