Nico Hulkenberg turned down an offer from Lotus to replace surgery-bound Kimi Raikkonen for the remaining two grands prix of the 2013 season in Austin and Sao Paulo.

German Hulkenberg, who currently drives for Sauber, is the hot favourite to replace Raikkonen full-time in 2014, but only if financially struggling Lotus completes its crucial investment deal with the Quantum group.

If that deal collapses, as many insiders believe it will, Pastor Maldonado – who will not drive for Williams next season – is tipped to switch his lucrative PDVSA backing to the Enstone based team.

Nevertheless, late on Tuesday Hulkenberg’s manager Werner Heinz revealed that, in the past days, Lotus expressed interest in the 26-year-old racing in click here for more