Lotus had a largely impressive 2013 on the track, securing third place in the
Constructorss championship, but they were dogged by financial problems
throughout. Their star driver Kimi Raikkonen revealed he had not been paid,
and the team announced earlier this month that they will miss the upcoming
test in Jerez.
Lopez said in a statement: “Lotus F1 Team has never stood still and we
head into what promises to be an exciting 2014 season with an innovative new
car, new partners and a new management structure at Enstone.
“Great things have been achieved over the past years and we need to
continue this momentum.
“We thank Eric for all his hard work over the past four years and we are
confident we can continue to fight as one of the top teams in Formula 1 over
the seasons ahead.”
Lotus said Lopez will share responsibility for running the team with
co-chairman Andrew Ruhan. They also confirmed they will reveal their new
car, the E22, at the beginning of the Bahrain pre-season test in February.