Lotus says tech boss Allison not leaving

(GMM) Lotus' James Allison is staying put.

That is the claim of an insider at the Enstone based team, despite admitting that Mercedes' Niki Lauda came calling for the highly rated British technical director.

Last week, as the Paddy Lowe saga unfolded, we reported that Allison had been earmarked by McLaren as a possible replacement, in case Lowe jumped ship.

Actually, the Lotus insider confirmed that it had been Mercedes' Lauda on the phone.

"Lauda calls Allison every day," the source is quoted by Speed Week, "but James' contract is bullet-proof."

Moreover, "He also doesn't want to leave," the Lotus insider added.