F1 News
Date: 18/December/2012
The last seat with a race-winning
2012 F1 team has been decided for next season with Lotus F1 confirming that
Romain Grosjean has been retained alongside Kimi Raikkonen.
Grosjean proved fast but flawed
during his first full year in grand prix, claiming podiums in three events -
including runner-up in Canada - but gaining an unwelcome reputation as a serial
first-lap offender.
The Frenchman, 26, retired from
seven rounds, most notably after triggering the first-turn pile-up in Spa, for
which he was banned from the following Monza round. Grosjean finished eighth in
the World Championship, five places behind race-winning team-mate Raikkonen and
is determined to do better in 2013.
Grosjean, who won Sunday’s Race of
Champions event in Bangkok, said: “It’s fantastic for me to be continuing with
Lotus F1 Team for 2013. 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 1 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.”
But while Grosjean was toasting
his new deal, Kamui Kobayashi has stated that his chances of remaining in F1 next
season are over.
The Japanese took his first F1
podium with an emotional third place in front of his home fans at Suzuka this
year, but still lost his seat at Sauber - where he has raced for the past three
seasons.
The only remaining 2013 seats are
at Force India, Caterham and Marussia, all of which are oversubscribed. In an
open letter, Kobayashi thanked his fans for their support and said that he will
now focus on 2014.
Kobayashi, who had raised 8
million euros in backing from Japanese companies, said:
“I am not able to secure a seat
with a competitive F1 team for 2013. I have to admit that it is very sad and I feel
sorry for fans and Japanese companies who supported me. But I am still
confident to make it happen in 2014.
“I have no interest to race in any
other categories,” he added. “I will make an announcement as soon as I make a
decision for 2013.”
Sauber is to run an all new
line-up of ex-Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg and rookie Esteban Gutierrez
next year - Kobayashi’s 2012 team-mate Sergio Perez having sealed a dream move
to McLaren in place of the departing Lewis Hamilton.
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