Lotus have confirmed test driver Jerome D'Ambrosio will replace the suspended Romain Grosjean at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix. The Frenchman was given a one-race suspension by the FIA for causing the horrific accident at the start of the Belgian GP which eliminated the Lotus driver, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez. The stewards described the incident as "an extremely serious breach of the regulations which had the potential to cause injury to others." However, Grosjean's ban has now opened the way for D'Ambrosio, who drove for Marussia in 2011, to return to the sport. "When we signed Jerome as our third driver we signed a man who is highly motivated, fresh, talented and who contested the full 2011 season," Team Principal Eric Boullier said. "We hope that this will pay dividends when he drives the car this weekend in Monza. We know that Jerome is well integrated into the team and that he did a good job when he drove the E20 at the Mugello test. Now he has the challenge of a Grand Prix at the challenging circuit of Monza, in a car which is capable of finishing on the podium. "One thing is for sure, he's half Italian and I think I know which driver the spectators will support apart from Fernando ! It's a tough task for Jérôme, but we will be supporting him in every way to achieve a good result." Jerome d'Ambrosio's F1 Stats Age - 26 Nationality - Belgian Races - 19 Debut - Australia 2011 Last race - Brazil 2011 Points - 0 Previous team - Marussia An excited D'Ambrosio added: "My desire for 2012 has always been to get back into the seat of a Formula 1 car so I am grabbing this opportunity with both hands. Monza is a fantastic circuit and I can't wait to take to the track on Friday. "As third driver I have worked with the team at every Grand Prix, attending all the briefings and meetings that the race drivers do, so I am well prepared in this respect. Monza is a superb circuit, but it is also quite a technical one so I am not underestimating the task ahead of me. "I want to reward the faith that the team has in me with a good haul of points from the race. I will hand the wheel back to Romain after Sunday's race and I hope that this one showing in Italy will allow me to show my capabilities fully." http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12473/8050552/D-Ambrosio-replaces-Grosjean
