Sep.9 (GMM) The career prospects of two hopeful drivers have taken a step back towards formula one.
Romain Grosjean’s F1 aspirations have been dwindling since he lost his Renault race seat last year, and former joint reserve driver Brendon Hartley recently lost the support of Red Bull’s junior programme.
But New Zealander Hartley, 20, has been signed with the help of three new sponsors by the Coloni team for the last two rounds of the GP2 series, beginning this weekend at Monza.
“We face a really big task at Monza as Brendon has never driven a GP2 car,” admitted Paulo Coloni, “but he has great experience in high-powered cars.”
And Swiss-born Frenchman Grosjean has been signed up by Gravity Sport, the management arm of Renault team owner Gerard Lopez’s Genii organisation.
Like Hartley, he will be on the GP2 grid this weekend, in the DAMS car normally occupied by injured Renault F1 reserve driver Ho-Pin Tung.
“Such a partner will enable me to concentrate on my return to top-level single-seater racing, and I hope to attain my main aim, which is still formula one,” said the 24-year-old.
