Lotus has told Pastor Maldonado that he must prove himself to be worthy of a Formula 1 drive, and not rely on his wealthy sponsors.
Maldonado has been criticised for his close links with Venezuela’s state-owned oil and gas company PDVSA, who have financially backed his career.
However, the 30-year-old has struggled since he joined Lotus in 2014 and has two points from 23 races, while his team-mate Romain Grosjean has routinely beaten him.
CEO Nick Carter told AUTOSPORT: "PDVSA are probably one of the biggest sponsors within F1. They are a good sponsor, and while our latest figures stack up, they stack up contingent on PDVSA being involved within the team.
"At the moment they are part and parcel of what makes up our budget, so we're not looking to change. But then no driver is in a position where they cannot be dropped.
"They're only as good as their previous performances, and ultimately Pastor proves himself on the track."
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Lotus has told Pastor Maldonado that he must prove himself to be worthy of a Formula 1 drive, and not rely on his wealthy sponsors.
Maldonado has been criticised for his close links with Venezuela’s state-owned oil and gas company PDVSA, who have financially backed his career.
However, the 30-year-old has struggled since he joined Lotus in 2014 and has two points from 23 races, while his team-mate Romain Grosjean has routinely beaten him.
CEO Nick Carter told AUTOSPORT: "PDVSA are probably one of the biggest sponsors within F1. They are a good sponsor, and while our latest figures stack up, they stack up contingent on PDVSA being involved within the team.
"At the moment they are part and parcel of what makes up our budget, so we're not looking to change. But then no driver is in a position where they cannot be dropped.
"They're only as good as their previous performances, and ultimately Pastor proves himself on the track."
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