Lotus team principal Eric Boullier claims he has no bitter feelings toward Kimi Raikkonen despite the Finn choosing to leave Lotus for Ferrari next season.
The Enstone outfit convinced the 33-year-old to come back to Formula 1 after he chose to leave at the end of 2009 when Ferrari forced him out, in order to hire Fernando Alonso.
Boullier praised Raikkonen’s short time at Lotus and denied he held any bitterness toward the 2007 champion for his decision.
“Not at all,” he insisted. “Two years ago, when we decided to sign him, quite a few people thought we were crazy. And what happened in the end?
“We’ve been working with an amazing racer, who scored points for the team 27 times in a row, won two races, put motivation at a very high level at Enstone, and got on very well with his team-mate.”
The Frenchman is certain they can attract more big name drivers in the future as they continue to improve and challenge the front running teams.
“Of course this is a disappointment to all of us, and we’re sure you will agree that Kimi has been nothing but brilliant since he joined us. In the same breath, Enstone has once again proven its pedigree; providing him with two great cars and making his return to Formula 1 a success. It’s been a win-win situation right from the beginning.
“Now, it’s time to think about the future. You know, we remain a medium-sized team and there are some areas in which we’re not in a position to fight against the other top teams just yet. We’ve had Schumacher, Alonso, Räikkönen. New champions will join the list here soon I’m sure.”
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