There was some speculation he may be dropped from the team due to his rather tumultuous past season. At the same time, there were also some bright spots, and his accumulated 96 points, which earned him an eighth spot in the Drivers’ Championship, is certainly nothing to sneeze at.
Grosjean will be joining his 2012 partner Kimi Räikkönen, who was confirmed for the team back in October.
Upon hearing of his retention, Grosjean said in a statement, “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.”
Grosjean also made mention of Lotus’ new E21 race car, the successor to this year’s E20. He said he had just had his seat fitting and a chance to speak with the engineers building the car. The E21 should be revealed early next year and will once again be powered by Renault engines.
On a sad note, Kamui Kobayashi has confirmed he will not be in F1 next year. His current team Sauber has elected to go with Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez for the 2013 season. Sauber’s other driver, Sergio Perez, is replacing Lewis Hamilton at McLaren next year.
Marussia will also have a new driver lineup for 2013, having hired Timo Glock and 21-year-old British rookie Max Chilton.
