Quantum Motorsports, a consortium of business types from the United States of America, Abu Dhabi and Brunei are now close to agreeing a deal to purchase 35% of Lotus from Genii Capital.
The deal should ease Lotus ongoing financial fears, whilst also over seeing the capture of highly rated German driver Nico Hulkenberg to replace outgoing Finn Kimi Raikkonen.
The delay in completing the deal between Quantum Motorsports and Genii Capital during the summer could have been the difference between the 2007 Formula One World Champion staying with Lotus and making the move to Ferrari.
But despite that, Head of the Quantum Motorsports consortium Mansoor Ijaz does not hold any regrets in that regard: ‘I have enormous respect for Kimi as a driver, I actually love his mercurial personality.
‘But it is not a matter of having regret. he told Autosport Magazine.
During the talks regarding investment, Lotus held talks with a number of drivers to replace Kimi after his announcement to Ferrari was confirmed.
The first two high profile links were Felipe Massa, who Kimi will replace at Ferrari and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, but whilst the talks between Quantum Motorsports and Genii Capital stalled, Lotus also held talks with Williams driver Pastor Maldonado.
Eventually Lotus opted for Hulkenberg over Massa, but held talks with Maldonado as a clear plan B.
If the deal with Quantum Motorsports consortium collapsed then Maldonado, along with his reported £30million-a-year sponsorship from Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA would be offered the drive.
But as the deal now nears it’s conclusion, it’s clear that it should only be a matter of time before Hulkenberg is confirmed as a Lotus driver for the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship season.
‘The answer is that I never will say I regret that he [Kimi Raikkonen] left because we have a beautiful and bright horizon with Nico Hulkenberg in front of us. Ijaz said.
It doesn’t get much clearer than that.
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