Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus, Renault
Jerome d'Ambrosio (above left) and Vitaly Petrov (above right) the latest drivers to be confirmed for 2011
As we wind down the remaining days of the calendar year, the final few seats are closing for the 2011 Formula One World Championship after both Renault and Virgin have officially confirmed their rosters for next season.
After much speculation and a change of ownership, the Lotus Renault GP team has confirmed that rookie Russian driver Vitaly Petrov will stay with the team to drive alongside fellow incumbent Robert Kubica for another two years. The announcement comes several weeks after widely-publicized negotiations with Kimi Raikkonen broke down.
The Virgin team, which has likewise rebranded as Marussia Virgin Racing, has also confirmed its drivers for next season, with Timo Glock staying on and newcomer Jerome d'Ambrosio taking the second seat. The Belgian driver won the International Formula Master in 2007 and placed second in the GP2 Asia Series in 2008/09. After a year as a Renault reserve driver, d'Ambrosio will replace Lucas di Grassi.
Shortly after the announcement, di Grassi made headlines by winning Felipe Massa's charity karting event in Brazil ahead of Massa, Williams veteran Rubens Barrichello and Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari. Did Virgin act too hastily? Only time will tell.
There are just six seats still unconfirmed at Force India, Toro Rosso and HRT, and the 2011 F1 season is scheduled to kick off on March 13 in Bahrain. Follow the jump for the official announcements from both teams.
[Sources: Renault, Virgin]
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Lotus Renault GP, Virgin confirm drivers for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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