It is up in news today that Maldonado is in fear. Maldonado is in risk of losing his drive at Renault this year as a consequence generally installment of assets. The Venezuelan’s supporter – national oil organization PDVSA – pays the team a presumed $50m (£35m), however the cash is a few weeks past due, sources say.
Maldonado, 30, will be supplanted by previous McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen if the installment is not made soon.
Renault have assumed control over the Lotus team and require affirmed drivers in time for a noteworthy media dispatch in ahead of schedule February. English fledgling Jolyon Palmer is Renault’s other driver for the 2016 season, which begins in Australia on 20 March.
A Renault spokesman said: “It’s speculation at the moment. We have a contract with Pastor. That is the current situation. Who knows what could happen by Australia but, at the moment, we are going forward with Pastor and Jolyon.”
Maldonado’s chief, Nicolas Todt, was not accessible for input.
Magnussen was given a voyage through the Renault industrial facility in Oxfordshire a week ago in full perspective of the entire team. Insiders trust the circumstance has been spilled as a strategy to attempt to put weight on PDVSA to pay the cash it owes, however the Venezuelan economy is battling as an aftereffect of a tremendous drop in costs of petrol.
Maldonado owes his position in F1 to previous Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, who organized the sponsorship as a method for boosting the nation’s distinction. Chavez kicked the bucket in 2013 however Maldonado’s subsidizing has proceeded under current president Nicolas Maduro.
Maldonado has won one race – the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix for Williams – in a F1 career that has been outstanding for its instability.
His penchant for episode has prompted the epithet ‘Accident tor’ and has even produced a sarcastic site dedicated to his mishap record. Renault was hesitant to keep Maldonado for 2016; however he was marked by Lotus before the takeover was finished.
Magnussen, 23, is a free operators having been discharged by McLaren taking after a year as their store driver in 2015. The Dane raced for the team in 2014 as team-mate to Briton Jenson Button and was second on his presentation in Australia that year. He is viewed as a standout amongst the most gifted drivers without a momentum place on the F1 matrix for 2016.
