It’s been an interesting few weeks for Lotus team principal Eric Boullier. Following eight podiums in the first half of the season, the E21 went off the boil at the low-downforce Spa and Monza rounds and soon after came news of Kimi Raikkonen’s 2014 Ferrari move. So what does Boullier make of it all? We found out…

Q: Eric, Lotus gave Kimi the chance – and the car – to make what has been an impressive F1 comeback. A better chance comes along and he’s gone, yet you say ‘no hard feelings’. But what feelings are there? That surely cannot leave you untouched…
Eric Boullier: Disappointment. But we are not bitter. You have to deal with facts – and cannot live on expectations. We would have loved to keep Kimi and to carry on the nice story that we have built over the last two years, but you have to deal with reality. That’s it.

Q: Lotus never wanted to be drawn into a bidding war over his services. Was there a bidding war?
EB: No, there was no bidding war. Kimi wanted to have some reassurance. But let’s expand the story. The strategy behind the team was click here for more