Renault confirms the appointment of Grosjean

Renault has just confirmed the appointment of Romain Grosjean for the remainder of the season with the French team, following the separation from Nelsinho Piquet and the victory in the appeal yesterday before the FIA International Court of Appeal.

Grosjean, who was officially the test and reserve driver, will make his Formula 1 debut this weekend at the European Grand Prix in Valencia. After experiencing mixed fortunes in GP2 this year – a dominant start with two victories followed by involvement in numerous incidents – Renault has placed its trust in him.

Flavio Briatore, the team manager, stated that he is confident in Romain’s ability to showcase his talent, which allowed him to win the F3 EuroSeries championship in 2007 and the GP2 Asia in 2008.

« We are happy to give Romain the chance to start racing with the team. He is an impressive young talent and we expect him to show his driving skills alongside Fernando as we take an aggressive approach in the second half of the season. » confided Briatore.

«We also want to thank Nelson for his contribution during the time he was with us and we wish him all the best for the future.»

Romain Grosjean, 24, expressed his delight at the opportunity to race in F1 and is not worried about the prospect of being Alonso’s teammate.

« I am really proud that Renault F1 Team is giving me the chance to become a racing driver, » rejoiced the Geneva native.

I’m excited to drive the R29 and help the team achieve the best possible results. It’s also an honor to be Fernando’s teammate, and making my debut in Formula 1 alongside a two-time world champion is particularly motivating.

Romain Grosjean will become the 72nd French driver to race in F1 at Valencia, shortly after Sébastien Bourdais was dismissed from Toro Rosso in mid-July.