LONDON — Denmark’s Kevin Magnussen is set to replace Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado at the Renault Formula One team, Sky Sports television and specialist websites reported Thursday.
A spokesman for the British-based team, who competed as Lotus last season, would not comment on speculation when contacted by Reuters.
Renault is due to present its driver lineup and management structure at an event in Paris next Wednesday.
Maldonado’s future has been uncertain since Renault announced its return to Formula One as constructor and took over the financially-troubled team last month.
Quick, and a race winner with Williams in Spain in 2012, Maldonado also has an accident-prone reputation that has made him a regular visitor to the stewards as well as the butt of jokes on social media.
Previously backed by Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA, to the tune of some 20 million pounds ($28.75 million) a year according to some media reports, there has been speculation about the driver’s ongoing funding.
The BBC, citing unnamed sources, reported earlier this month that payments from PDVSA were several weeks overdue. The company has not commented.
Autosport.com, also referring to unnamed sources, has also reported that Magnussen was poised to sign a deal in the next few days.
It added, however, that there was a “very small window of opportunity” for PDVSA to return to the negotiating table and sign a new deal.
Magnussen, 23, was released by McLaren last October after an impressive 2014 debut that included a podium finish in his first race in Australia. He was seen visiting the Lotus factory recently.
If confirmed, he would partner British rookie Jolyon Palmer at the team.
Pirelli to host meeting
Pirelli will host a meeting of Formula One’s key stakeholders in Milan next week to discuss how the sport wants the tires to perform in future.
Formula One is currently planning a rewriting of the rules from 2017 to improve the show with faster and more aggressive-looking cars.
Drivers have said repeatedly that they want tires that let them race flat out from start to finish rather than the current quick-wearing ones that require careful management over a distance. Pirelli said in a statement Thursday that the meeting, to be held at the company’s headquarters, would “discuss target tire performance guidelines.”
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone told the BBC that the drivers would also be welcome at the Feb. 2 meeting with Pirelli. — Agencies
