AUSTIN, Texas — Lotus has promoted reserve driver Jolyon Palmer to a full-time seat for 2016.
The 24-year-old from Britain joins Pastor Maldonado in the Lotus lineup. He had been scheduled to drive Friday afternoon’s practice session at the United States Grand Prix until the session was cancelled due to bad weather.
Palmer joined Lotus after winning the GP2 championship in 2014. He was the first British driver to win GP2 since Lewis Hamilton in 2006.
He will replace Romain Grosjean, who is leaving Lotus after this season to join the new Haas F1 team that will debut at the Australian Grand Prix next year.
Palmer says he’s ready to make the move and that he already has a good relationship with Maldonado after working with him this year.
