Story highlights
Lotus retain driver Romain Grosjean for the 2013 Formula One season
The Frenchman finished eighth in the drivers' championship on 96 points
The 26-year-old was involved in several controversial incidents in 2012
Grosjean will again partner 2007 Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen
Lotus have retained their controversial driver Romain Grosjean for the 2013 Formula One campaign.
The Frenchman finished eighth in the drivers’ championship in 2012 on 96 points but was involved in a number of early season incidents.
He was handed a one-race ban after causing a pile up during the Belgian Grand Prix while Red Bull’s Mark Webber called him a “first lap nutcase” after they collided at the Japanese Grand Prix.
A decision on Grosjean’s future was delayed until he held talks with the team at the end of the season but now they have confirmed he will again partner 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen.
“It’s fantastic for me to be continuing with Lotus F1 Team for 2013,” Grosjean told the Lotus website.
“It’s superb to have the support of everyone at Enstone. I’m really looking forward to rewarding their faith when we take to the track in Australia.
“I learnt a lot in my first full season in Formula One and my aim is to put these lessons into practice with stronger and more consistent performance on track next year.
“There are a lot of exciting developments occurring behind the scenes at Enstone and I am very excited with the prospect of the E21 (car).
“I’ve already had my seat fitting and spoken with all the personnel involved with the build of the new car; I just can’t wait to get behind the wheel.”
Grosjean finished on the podium three times in his first full Formula One campaign, coming third in Bahrain and Hungary, and second in Canada.
Lotus team principal Eric Boullier said: “Romain is a great talent and we are pleased that he is continuing with us for a second season.
“With the continuity of two exceptional drivers like Romain and Kimi we are well placed to build on our strong 2012 with even better results in the year ahead.
“Both drivers worked very well together in their first year as team-mates, and I think there is the potential of even better things from the season ahead.
“We were regular visitors to podiums in 2012 and we certainly intend to continue with this trend in 2013.”