02/02/2016
NEWS STORY
Pastor Maldonado's manager, Nicolas Todt, says a move to Manor Racing is not an option.
Following the Venezuelan's admission yesterday that he will not be on the grid this year, thereby effectively confirming that his Renault seat is to go to Kevin Magnussen, the only other possibility of a drive appeared to be at Manor.
However, his manager Nicolas Todt, son of FIA president Jean Todt, has admitted the Banbury-based team is not an option.
"Manor are not really an option," he told Reuters. "After five years at Williams and Lotus, with all due respect to Manor, it makes no sense for Pastor."
An odd comment, when one considers the obvious determination to move forward at Manor, witness the switch to Mercedes engines and recent key technical appointments.
"I don't see any concrete opportunity for Formula One this year," added Todt. "We will try to bounce back in 2017."
Whilst most believe the reason for Maldonado's departure from Renault was down to the non-appearance of his sponsorship money from PDVSA, Todt was unwilling to comment.
"I don't want to go into the details of the contract," he said "The agreement was terminated in a friendly manner with Renault so no hard feelings. They behaved very fairly."