Lotus looks set to complete its 2013 driver lineup with Romain Grosjean.
The team this week confirmed officially that Kimi Raikkonen is staying next year, but the announcement made no mention of Lotus’ plans for Frenchman Grosjean.
While often impressive, Grosjean has had a tumultuous 2012 season which culminated in his Monza race ban, at the end of a spate of early-race crashes.
But team boss Eric Boullier hinted earlier this week that, after a better couple of races in Korea and India recently, the 26-year-old "has his place" in F1.
And now, speaking after the Raikkonen re-signing, Boullier said he thinks Grosjean is recovering from his mid-season slump and a period of caution in Korea.
Referring to last Sunday’s Indian grand prix, he said: "Compared with Korea when he had to be slightly more cautious, he is now back in the mood of racing and fighting.
"It’s good and I think he is on the way to recovery and has really shown exactly why he deserves to be where he is."