Switching the Renault power unit for a Mercedes one wouldn’t magically cure Lotus’s troubles, reckons Pastor Maldonado.
The Enstone team has been a Renault customer since 1995 but is currently in advanced negotiations with Mercedes to use its engine in 2015.
Maldonado doesn’t believe such a switch would make a huge difference, unless they can make big steps forward with the E22’s aerodynamics and mechanical grip.
“If it’s just magic that you can put the [Mercedes] engine in and then go and win races, OK let’s go for it,” he said on Thursday.
“But it is not that simple, you need to take care of the design of the car.”
With the deal yet to be done, Maldonado is hopeful that Renault will improve before the end of the year, and if not, make advances over the winter when the freeze is lifted.
“It’s not an easy decision and Renault has always been very successful in the past. Hopefully they can improve next year, or even from here to get closer and closer, at least to the Ferrari level in terms of engine.
“Behind the engine there is a huge amount of work in terms of design for the car, so I’m not 100 per cent sure about the move.”
Discussion about this post