Lotus expect to finalise an investment deal imminently and are confident Kimi Raikkonen will decide to stay on next season, according to the Formula One team’s principal Eric Boullier. ‘Yes, I am (confident). He loves this team. He likes to be here and he likes the environment we created for him,’ the Frenchman told reporters after Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.
‘I understand he needs to be reassured about the strength of the team financially, the technical challenge we have to face for next year... it’s normal.’ Boullier said he expected new investment, first announced in June, to be finalised by next week’s Italian Grand Prix to put the team on a secure footing. Raikkonen, the 2007 champion who is out of contract at the end of the year and has been linked to other top teams, indicated at Spa that his salary had not been fully paid and Lotus knew what had to be resolved before any talks could begin. Boullier said the issues alluded to by Raikkonen, who won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and is currently fourth in the standings, were being addressed. ‘They are solvable if we can put in place the package we want to put in place,’ he said.
<span lang="EN">Lewis Hamilton targets turning point at S’pore
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS: Lewis Hamilton hopes Singapore can be a springboard for success in the battle to rein in Red Bull’s runaway Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel. Vettel chalked up his fifth win in 11 races at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday and moved 46 points clear of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso with eight rounds remaining.
‘That’s big gap, a huge gap. It’s going to be very tough to close that but I’m going to keep pushing,’ said Hamilton, who finished third. Italy is next up, the final round of the European season at the fastest track of all, before Formula One heads east to Singapore. ‘Maybe we will be able to unlock something before the next race but if not then I’m hoping that Singapore onwards will be much better.’ Agencies