Lotus trackside director Alan Permane has hailed Pastor Maldonado as one of the best drivers he has worked with in Formula 1 despite his "bad image".
The Venezuelan managed just two points in his first season with the team after moving from Williams last winter.
However, despite a poor 2014, Permane is adamant that Maldonado is a good driver for Lotus.
He told Autosport: "Pastor has an awfully bad image from the outside, and of course he does do some silly things on track every now and again.
"But to work with, he's one of the best drivers I've ever worked with - his feedback, how calm he is, nothing flusters him at all.
"He's very, very good and he works incredibly hard. Whatever's happening, he's in there doing his stuff and getting on with it. There's very rarely a magic button to press, it's just hard work that gets you out of trouble. And he recognises that and gets on with it."
Maldonado's only race win in F1 came at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, where he saw off Fernando Alonso to finish first at the Circuit de Catalunya.
