Ecclestone steps in to feed Lotus staff

Lotus has thanked F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone for permitting it to eat at the Paddock Club after being unable to set up its hospitality unit in the paddock at the Suzuka Circuit.

A delay in payments to the circuit has seen the troubled Enstone team locked out of its hospitality, limiting team members to just the pit garage and in the paddock, while Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado were again forced to conduct their media sessions in the rain.

However, the team did at least manage to get some food courtesy of Bernie Ecclestone, who in an act of kindness, permitted the team members to breakfast and lunch courtesy of the Paddock Club canteen, a gesture Lotus was keen to show its gratitude for.

"It's quite fun - it's like camping," Grosjean added. "The atmosphere is good, we've found somewhere with a coffee machine, Pirelli has offered us some hospitality for the drivers to have lunch, mechanics could have lunch as well. It's not ideal start of the weekend but when the car is on track that's what we focus on."

Despite positive on-track performances, including a podium at Spa courtesy of Grosjean, Lotus' ongoing financial woes have been laid bare in recent races, from the impounding of its cars in Belgium in a dispute with former reserve driver Charles Pic, its late payment to Pirelli for tyres in Hungary and a lack of catering equipment last time out in Singapore.

However, worse could be around the corner for Lotus if it doesn't come up with payments for British tax authorities by Monday 28th September. Following a third adjournment last week in the hope of firming its much mooted deal with Renault, Lotus has been warned it will not get another extension to source the money and will be placed into administration as a result.

Meanwhile, Grosjean is expected to be confirmed to be moving to Haas F1 on Tuesday.