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Lotus: 'Pastor safe, Grosjean in doubt'

HOCKENHEIM, Germany - Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado will stay with Lotus in 2015, despite the Formula 1 team suffering a terrible first half of the 2014 season, team principal Gerard Lopez said on Saturday (July 19).

Maldonado has yet to score a point this season as Lotus struggle with the new technical changes.

Lopez on the Lotus F1 website: "I can confirm 50% of our driver line-up for 2015 as Pastor is with us for next year. Despite the difficulties we've had so far this season, he recognises our true potential as a team and we recognise his true potential as a driver.

"We will achieve great things together."

Maldonado, 29, had been with Williams for three years when he switched to Lotus at the end of the 2013 season.

In total contrast, team mate Romain Grosjean's future is uncertain. His manager, Eric Boullier, is now the boss at McLaren, and it is expected that the strongly Grosjean-linked Renault and Total will not be part of the Lotus package beyond this season.

Grosjean said earlier in July: "I've been here for a little bit and I know the team very well, but I want to win races as well, so things are open."

Ironically, Williams is one of the success stories of this season, in fourth place in the Constructors' championship table behind runaway leaders Mercedes with 103 points, while Lotus have a meagre eight points and lie eighth of the 11 teams racing.

In qualifying for Sunday's German GP at Hockenheim, Maldonado failed to make it out of the first session and will start 19th.

Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 German GP this weekend.
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