Lotus owner talks financial woes, Jerez, and Renault - MotorSportsTalk

Rumors of financial collapse have continued to dog Lotus, but the team’s owner, Gerard Lopez, has tried to quash them in an interview with German publication Auto Motor und Sport.

While admitting that the investment deal with the Quantum Motorsport group was now cancelled as its money never showed up, Lopez (pictured, right, with team principal Eric Boullier) said that the team’s 2014 budget was in place thanks to the large backing of Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, which came along with Pastor Maldonado to the team upon his signing.

He also revealed that former team driver Kimi Raikkonen, now back at Ferrari, has been “partly paid” for his services and that “he will get the rest” eventually.

During last season, the former World Champion revealed that he had not received his salary and went as far to hint that he might walk out on the team; he wound up missing the last two races of 2013 but for the reason of undergoing back surgery.

As for Lotus’ absence from the upcoming preseason test at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, Lopez insisted that the team was satisfied with the ongoing development of the E22 chassis and that being away from Jerez wouldn’t give its competition an advantage with the new V-6 turbo engines set to debut this year.

“There is also Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Caterham testing [the Renault engine], and the findings will also benefit us,” Lopez said to the German publication. “Any changes Renault makes before the Bahrain test will also be in our car…The first real test is in Bahrain. Before that, we can find more laptime in the factory.”

On that note, Lopez confirmed “we have the Renault engine” but put the lack of an official engine announcement down to complications with negotiations involving Lotus and Renault’s other F1 projects.

“…Lotus is not just a customer of Renault,” he said. “Our engineers for example have helped develop the KERS. So we have tried to agree that it is more than just an engine deal, which has delayed the negotiations somewhat.”

You’d certainly like to think that Lopez’s confirmation of a 2014 budget would ease some of the concerns surrounding his team. But between skipping Jerez and no official word on an engine (at least, for now), the chatter surrounding the future of Lotus likely will continue on through the preseason.

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FORT WORTH, Texas – Defending series champion Will Power’s name is off the board of potential IndyCar free agents, but there’s still much to be settled in the field – starting with the reigning Indy 500 winner.

Marcus Ericsson is waiting on a contract offer to remain with Chip Ganassi Racing beyond the 2023 season (his fourth with the team). The Swede said he’s made it clear to car owner Chip Ganassi that he wants to stay in the No. 8 Dallara-Honda, which has four victories since June 2021.

“Yeah, it’s up to him, basically,” Ericsson said Friday at Texas Motor Speedway. “He needs to give me an offer for ’24 onward. The ball is in his corner. I really enjoy it at Ganassi, and we’ve done a lot of great things together and would love to continue, but the ball is in his corner. He knows very well what I want.”

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Two days before Ericsson won the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg season opener March 5, Ganassi sang the praises of the emerging star driver to a small group of reporters.

“I want him here beyond this year,” Ganassi said of Ericsson. “He seems to have gotten more out of winning the Indy 500 than anyone else has of recent time, which is a good thing. He did a good job. He’s been everywhere. It’s been a really positive thing for Marcus, the team, the series. He’s grown with that as well.”

Ericsson didn’t sew up his current deal until late in his breakthrough 2021 season (after a memorable victory in the inaugural Music City Grand Prix). So he isn’t necessarily anxious about it but conceded he “was thinking a bit about it over the winner in the offseason and talking about it

“But now that the season has started, I told my managers and everyone I want to focus on the driving. They focus on those things. Now the season is on, and I want to try to win races, win another 500 and championship. That’s where my focus is. (A new contract) is one of those things that happens when it happens. But I’m happy where I am, and I want to do well.”

IndyCar’s two best teams, Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing, tend to be very tight-lipped about their drivers’ contract status.

Power confirmed Friday to journalist Bruce Martin that his new deal was for multiple seasons. That means all three of Penske’s drivers are in multiple-year contracts (unlike Power’s deal, Scott McLaughlin’s extension was announced by the team last year).

But there is more uncertainty at Ganassi’s four cars aside from Ericsson. While Scott Dixon has a ride for as long as he wants (and the six-time champion has given no indication of retiring), Ganassi’s other two other seats have yet to be solidified beyond 2023.

The No. 11 is being split this year by rookie Marcus Armstrong and veteran Takuma Sato this season. In the No. 10, Alex Palou is believed to be in his final year at Ganassi before heading to Arrow McLaren.

That expected move would cast doubt on the future of Felix Rosenqvist, who returned to Arrow McLaren when the team was unable to bring in Palou (who was embroiled in a contract dispute with Ganassi).

Aside from Penske, virtually every other IndyCar team (including Andretti Autosport, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Meyer Shank Racing, which has Helio Castroneves in a contract year) has seats that potentially could open for next season, and even drivers who appear to be under contract for next year still could be on the move (via buyouts and option years).

Though Juncos Hollinger Racing announced a “long-term, multiyear contract partnership” last July with Callum Ilott, but the second-year driver was cagey Friday when asked about how long the extension ran.

“It’s for whatever I want it to be,” said Ilott, who finished a career-best fifth at St. Petersburg. “I’ll say that.”

Before returning to JHR, Ilott turned enough heads as a rookie to draw interest from several teams, and he indicated Friday that he still would be listening.

“I’d love to talk to some other big teams,” Ilott said. “Nothing stops me from talking. Look, you’ve got to be fair. I agreed to (the deal), but it’s pretty obvious that I’m quite interested as people are interested in me as a driver, but I need to focus on the job I’ve got here.

“I’m confident whether it’s in one year, two years, three years, four years, that if I’m wanted now, I’ll always be wanted. I’m a good enough driver that I don’t need to lack confidence in that side. … I’m not worried.”