Caterham and Manor both included; World champion Lewis Hamilton opts to keep number 44 for next season
Monday 29 December 2014 10:06, UK
The Lotus team have been listed as “subject to confirmation” on an updated FIA entry list for the 2015 Formula 1 season.
The Enstone-based team have already confirmed both Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado for the new campaign, along with a switch to Mercedes power.
However, the financial strife of the multiple-championship winning outfit has been well documented in recent years and after a dismal 2014 dropped from fourth to eighth in the Constructors’ Championship, missing out on valuable prize money. The poor on track performance also means the team have now lost their seat on the F1 Strategy Group.
The Times report that there are fears amongst F1 executives that ‘a third team will collapse in the new year as the sport dithers over a multimillion-pound plan to slash costs’.
Caterham and Manor F1 - formerly known as Marussia - are both still included on the entry list, subject to confirmation, despite the two teams remaining in administration and the latter’s assets being auctioned off in mid-December.
The updated entry list also revealed that Lewis Hamilton will opt not to carry number one on his Mercedes in 2015, with the reigning world champion deciding to remain with the number 44 on his car.