The Lotus ART GP2 team is pleased to announce that they have signed a deal with Jules Bianchi for the upcoming 2011 championship season. This will be his fourth season with the French based squad after contesting two years in the F3 Euro Series followed by his debut season in the 2010 GP2 championship.
In 2010 he finished up as best rookie of the year as well as third overall with four podiums, three pole positions and one fastest lap. The young Frenchman, who is a part of the Ferrari Young driver Programme, has already shown great promise and his participation in the 2011 season will see the Lotus ART GP2 team go head to head with the top teams yet again. Once again they are hoping to build on a fruitful first season together to aim for similar achievements as the one Jules and Lotus ART secured in the last few years.
Jules Bianchi: “My first year in the most competitive championship besides F1 with the closest car there is to an F1 contender, allowed me to learn a great deal on a sporting, technical and personal level. I am proud Lotus ART put their confidence in me for another year because I know with them I have the best environment to reap what we have sown over the last few years and have the opportunity to fight for the title. Added to that, thanks to the Ferrari Driver Academy, compared to a year ago, I feel deeply changed. It was an important experience, which made me grow a lot and made me get to know the company and the people who work on this project, skilled professionals with great humanity. Through various stages we have practiced a major physical and mental training, but mostly I had a chance to hone driving techniques and it is in this sense that I feel that I have been a great help. I’m sure it will help me for my 2011 Challenge.”
Frédéric Vasseur: “Despite a broken vertebrae that could have had serious consequences both on a sporting and psychological level, Jules finished his first season in the GP2 Series brilliantly with the status of best rookie of the year. This remarkable achievement is even stronger thanks to his capability of chasing pole positions. He secured three times as many poles than any other rival in 2010. Lotus ART knows Jules well both as a driver and a person and has total confidence in him. We hope the combination of his qualities and the hard work of the team and its partners will give us all the leverage we need to aim for top places.”