Grosjean hangs on to Lotus seat for 2013

New Delhi: Formula 1 team Lotus have announced that Romain Grosjean will again partner Kimi Raikkonen next year, giving the team an unchanged driver line-up for the 2013 season.

Grosjean made his return to F1 with Lotus in 2012, having won the GP2 Series title in 2011, and scored three podium results - in Bahrain (P3), Canada (P2) and Hungary (P3) - en route to eighth place in the drivers` championship. "It`s fantastic for me to be continuing with Lotus F1 Team for 2013," said Grosjean on the F1 website late Monday night. "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," added the Frenchman, who earned a one-race ban for triggering a first-corner pile-up at September`s Belgian Grand Prix. "There are a lot of exciting developments occurring behind the scenes at Enstone and I am very excited with the prospect of the E21. 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." The Raikkonen-Grosjean partnership took Lotus to fourth place in the 2012 constructors` championship. Grosjean also emerged victorious at the 2012 Race of Champions Sunday in Thailand beating eight-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen in the final. IANS