Boullier: Lotus not bitter about Raikkonen exit

As weeks of speculation surrounding Kimi’s future finally came to an end this morning, Team Principal Eric Boullier reflects on the Finn’s impact at Enstone and what the future holds for the team…

Ferrari has announced this morning that Kimi will drive for them next year. What is your reaction?

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.

Are you bitter about Kimi’s decision?

Not at all. 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. 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.

What is your best memory from the Kimi days?

Hold on, Kimi has not left yet! We still have seven races together and our aim is to provide both him and Romain with the best machinery possible. There’s still a tough fight out there and we’re still pushing to improve on last season again with P3 in the Constructors’ Championship. If I had to pick one top moment, I would say that it has to be his first win with us in Abu Dhabi last year. After the long period of slowly building ourselves up and fighting at the top end of the grid, it was really a well deserved reward. To see Kimi on the top step of the podium for our team will be a memory that never leaves me.

When will you be in a position to announce your line-up for next year?

We are currently in discussion with a few people and will make a decision shortly. We are in the privileged position of being the most desirable team on the grid with a seat available, so we are therefore in no rush to announce anyone without establishing what will be the best for our team and the future.