'Crashtor' Maldonado's Days In F1 Are Numbered As Magnussen Takes His Place At Renault

That’s right. We all heard the rumours, we all secretly hoped it would happen and according to a report by Autosport_, Pastor Maldonado is set to lose his Renault F1 seat to Kevin Magnussen for 2016.

The Venezuelan has picked up a reputation for his erratic driving style, which regularly gets him in trouble with the stewards, and has sparked many memes, gifs and jokes.

Recently The Telegraph reported Magnussen had visited Renault’s Enstone base to discuss the possibility of racing for the team in 2016, or taking a reserve role.

Venezuela’s state oil firm PDVSA has long been the financial backer of Maldonado’s career but recent corruption scandals, the drop in oil prices and late payments put the former GP2 champion’s future at the team in doubt.

Autosport sources said K-Mag is set to sign a deal over the next few days and will be officially confirmed as a driver at Renault’s Paris launch next Wednesday. The website also understands that a disagreement between the French car manufacturer and PDVSA led to Maldonado being dropped, despite his 2016 seat being confirmed last September.

There is a slim chance Maldonado, Renault and PDVSA can patch things up and the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix winner will be back on the F1 grid, entertaining us with his unpredictable style, but the move is thought to be unlikely.

Renault has turned to Magnussen as a replacement; he’s a highly-rated young driver who raced for McLaren in 2014, scoring one podium. He was demoted to the reserve driver position with Fernando Alonso’s return to the Woking-based squad in 2015 and was informed in October, on his birthday, that his services were no longer required.

Would you like to see Magnussen replace Maldonado? Will you miss Pastor on the grid? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!