Adapted from GMM
It becomes certain that Romain Grosjean will take a big step towards returning to formula one in September.
As Auto123.com indicated last week, Grosjean is expected to drive Nick Heidfeld's Lotus Renault R31 during the first free practice session of the Singapore Grand Prix. The news has been reported Monday by Italian magazine Autosprint.
French media sources, including the Le Journal du Dimanche, say the Eric Boullier-managed Grosjean is a candidate to race Heidfeld's car number 9 later in 2011.
As for 2012, Renault team owner Gerard Lopez insists the 25-year-old has earned a full-time place on the grid.
"It was clearly a mistake for a person (Flavio Briatore) to put him at a team in trouble alongside Fernando Alonso in 2009," he is quoted by the French Toile F1 website.
"Now, with what he has shown in GP2, Romain is ready for F1. He really deserves a second chance to be in F1 next year.
"We are working to find a place for him. We are talking with several teams, and there are several seats that are less fixed than they seem.
"Lotus Renault GP is of course a possibility, but I do not think for a moment that Robert will not return next year.
"But if he doesn't, we will have two options: hire an experienced driver alongside Vitaly, even though experienced drivers without contracts are not numerous.
"The other option is to focus on a young guy and Romain would be ideal, especially as he is a Gravity driver.
"If Romain returns to F1 next year, it should be with a team with a profile similar to that of Lotus Renault GP," added Lopez.
It becomes certain that Romain Grosjean will take a big step towards returning to formula one in September.
As Auto123.com indicated last week, Grosjean is expected to drive Nick Heidfeld's Lotus Renault R31 during the first free practice session of the Singapore Grand Prix. The news has been reported Monday by Italian magazine Autosprint.
French media sources, including the Le Journal du Dimanche, say the Eric Boullier-managed Grosjean is a candidate to race Heidfeld's car number 9 later in 2011.
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| Romain Grosjean raced alongside Fernando Alonso at Renault in 2009. (Photo: Renault) |
As for 2012, Renault team owner Gerard Lopez insists the 25-year-old has earned a full-time place on the grid.
"It was clearly a mistake for a person (Flavio Briatore) to put him at a team in trouble alongside Fernando Alonso in 2009," he is quoted by the French Toile F1 website.
"Now, with what he has shown in GP2, Romain is ready for F1. He really deserves a second chance to be in F1 next year.
"We are working to find a place for him. We are talking with several teams, and there are several seats that are less fixed than they seem.
"Lotus Renault GP is of course a possibility, but I do not think for a moment that Robert will not return next year.
"But if he doesn't, we will have two options: hire an experienced driver alongside Vitaly, even though experienced drivers without contracts are not numerous.
"The other option is to focus on a young guy and Romain would be ideal, especially as he is a Gravity driver.
"If Romain returns to F1 next year, it should be with a team with a profile similar to that of Lotus Renault GP," added Lopez.