Formula 1 returnee Heikki Kovalainen has responded to his former Renault manager Flavio Briatore, after the Italian claimed Lotus should not have signed him.

Drafted in to replace the injured Kimi Raikkonen for the last two races of 2013, fellow Finn Kovalainen initially impressed in Austin last weekend but finished the US Grand Prix a disappointing 15th.

Briatore, Kovalainen’s former manager and Renault team boss, reportedly observed that Lotus clearly got its choice wrong, and should have promoted reserve driver Davide Valsecchi instead.

“The US Grand Prix showed that Lotus made a very bad choice choosing Kovalainen,” Briatore reportedly said.

When told about Briatore’s click here for more