Maldonado drops out of JOTA LMP2 line-up
Pastor Maldonado has announced he will not participate in the 2019/20 FIA World Endurance Championship season with the JOTA Sport LMP2 team.
Formula 1 race winner Maldonado was due to join Anthony Davidson and Roberto Gonzalez in JOTA's #38 Oreca 07 for the new campaign, the trio having all moved across together from the DragonSpeed team they raced for in 2018/19.
However, on Friday, the Venezuelan wrote on his Instagram account that he has parted ways with the team ahead of next weekend's Silverstone season opener.
He wrote: "I want to inform that officially I’ll not participate this season together with my teammates Roberto Gonzalez and Anthony Davidson in Jota Sport at @fiawec_official due to not reaching a balance agreement between the parties.
"I take the opportunity to wish the best of luck to my ex-teammates for this championship 2019-2020. I’ll give you news about my future soon."
Ex-BMW WEC driver Antonio Felix da Costa is expected to be confirmed by JOTA imminently alongside Davidson and Gonzalez for the full 2019/20 season.
Gonzalez commented: “I greatly thank Pastor Maldonado for the magnificent work he did with us this time in the FIA WEC. No doubt we all grew up together, formed a great team and achieved excellent results. I wish him and his family the best in all his projects.
"I also take the opportunity to welcome Antonio Felix da Costa, who will be completing the line-up of Jota #38 for the 2019/20 season. I know he is a great driver, he has a lot of experience, and he will contribute a lot to the team."
Antonio Felix da Costa, BMW I Andretti Motorsports, talks to the press
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / LAT Images
Previous article
Ginetta can "surprise" in Silverstone WEC opener
Next article
Porsche "still the reference" with new car - Calado
About this article
| Series | WEC |
| Drivers | Pastor Maldonado |
| Teams | Jota Sport |
| Author | Jamie Klein |
Daniel Serra at Ferrari Finali Mondiali
James Calado at Finali Mondiali
AF Corse 488 GTE Livery
Ferrari enters LMH from 2023
Peugeot in sportscars
How 'Brilliant' Bob Wollek lived up to his nickname
Sportscar racing lost one of it's greatest talents 20 years ago today when Bob Wollek was knocked from his bicycle prior to the Sebring 12 Hours. The enigmatic Frenchman never won the Le Mans 24 Hours, but many still remember today why 'Brilliant Bob' became a legend
How Ferrari's Hypercar project could bolster Leclerc's legacy
Ferrari's planned return to the top category at the Le Mans 24 Hours has further heightened anticipation for the 2023 race. Few concrete details are currently known, but already it has a high-profile superstar angling for involvement, which would make a refreshing change
Why Ferrari is ending its 50-year top-flight sportscar racing exile
Making a return to top-flight sportscar racing after 50 years away, Ferrari will enter the Le Mans Hypercar ranks in 2023. The Italian marque denies the link with Formula 1's new cost cap that frees up resources, but it's certainly no coincidence...
The GTE dilemma that IMSA has created for the WEC
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s decision to scrap its GT Le Mans class for 2022 raises the question of whether the FIA World Endurance Championship should phase out GTE cars. But it's a much harder decision than it appears on the surface.
The ground-up refresh behind Toyota's new Le Mans challenger
Toyota's new GR010 contender for the World Endurance Championship's Hypercar era has little in common with the LMP1 TS050 that preceded it. But within the confines of the scaled back new rules, its latest challenger will be no less formidable a prospect
The tiny increments that decided the final LMP1-era WEC
The system of success handicaps devised by the FIA World Endurance Championship to level the LMP1 playing field in the category's swansong season ended up having a counterproductive effect, as COVID cancellations also played in the champions' favour.
Why Audi’s shock return promises a new age for sportscars
OPINION: The news that Audi will return to Le Mans means we'll at last get to see the fight promised in 2012 against Peugeot and Toyota. It also gives LMDh a tangible form, which could open the floodgates for more like-minded marques to follow suit…
The eternal debate revived after the 2019/20 WEC season
It may have been missed amid the clamour over Lewis Hamilton's seventh F1 title, but Britain had another world champion crowned last weekend. Mike Conway's WEC crown raises an old conundrum - does title glory make up for the pain of Le Mans defeat?
