Bernie Ecclestone has been forced to step in and pay Lotus’s Abu Dhabi hospitality bill, to ensure their participation in the season finale is guaranteed.
The Enstone outfit were locked out of the circuit on Tuesday and Wednesday when team freight would usually have been unpacked and set up for the race, but Lotus were only granted entry on Thursday morning once Ecclestone settled their outstanding bill.
The team has struggled to keep up with paying its bills, which has resulted in its staff being locked out of several races this season, with last-minute payments gaining them access on each occasion.
The team have confirmed they will take part in first practice on Friday afternoon and were granted permission to skip pre-race scrutineering, which will now be carried out on Friday morning.
The team are hopeful that their financial struggles will be solved in the coming weeks, with French manufacturer Renault set to confirm its takeover of the team next week.
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