Grosjean will drive for Lotus Renault in Abu Dhabi and Brazil

According to Autosport and also based on statements by Jean-Louis Moncet on Eurosport, Romain Grosjean is expected to participate in the Friday morning free practice sessions at the last two Grand Prix of the season with the British team, Lotus Renault GP.

The 2011 GP2 champion is expected to replace Bruno Senna in the R31 seat during the first practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, while in Brazil, it seems understood that Vitaly Petrov will give up his seat to the Franco-Swiss driver.

The news has been officially confirmed by the team in a statement: Lotus Renault GP is pleased to announce that Romain Grosjean will drive the R31 during the first free practice sessions on Fridays at the last two Grand Prix of the season, in Abu Dhabi (November 11) and Brazil (November 25).

Eric Boullier had nevertheless assured, three weeks ago, during the show Dimanche F1 that « for the moment it is not a question of him driving on Friday because I have two drivers in the car who do not have a lot of experience, so sacrificing a Friday session for them is not necessarily to the advantage of the team. »

It therefore seems possible to consider that if the British team makes this sacrifice, it may be to prepare Romain Grosjean for a starting position in 2012 while hoping to make a decision regarding the potential return of Robert Kubica in the coming weeks.

Today, the team principal and director of Lotus Renault Grand Prix states: « Romain has been part of the LRGP family since February, and we feel that the time has come to give him a chance to drive for us during two practice sessions. Besides the opportunity to showcase his skills during two consecutive Friday sessions, this will provide him with valuable experience of driving the R31 over a race weekend and make him even better. I am sure that his feedback will be useful for the team, especially since he drove in F1 two years ago. Since then, he has improved in all areas, and I am confident he will do a good job. We can do this without compromising our usual Friday setup work, and Bruno and Vitaly will return to their seats as usual from free practice 2 at each race. »

For his part, Romain Grosjean, unsurprisingly, expressed delight at being offered this opportunity: “I am very excited at the idea of driving the R31 for the first time during a race weekend. It will be a big responsibility and my priority will be to do the best possible job for the team. I know all the mechanics and engineers, the methodology and procedures are familiar to me, and I know the two circuits on which I will be driving. I also think that the GP2 races this year have kept me in good physical shape. Lastly, I did some F1 testing for Pirelli last winter, so the tires shouldn’t be completely unfamiliar to me. I believe that all these elements together will make for a fantastic experience and I don’t feel any particular pressure so far. Of course, my goal will be to help Lotus Renault GP in preparing for their races, to give the best feedback possible, and also to be reliable and consistent. An opportunity like this gives a huge boost to a driver’s career, and I will do everything I can to make the most of this chance I have been given.”