Whilst not the first choice, Heikki Kovalainen is now favourite to take the vacant seat at Lotus for the United States and Brazilian Grands Prix.
Kovalainen was however the second choice after Lotus team principal Eric Boullier approached Nico Hulkenberg, but the German refused to leave Sauber early despite terminating his contract earlier in the year.
It’s believed an announcement will be made on Thursday morning naming Kovalainen as Kimi Raikkonen’s temporary replacement.
It will come as a surprise to many who expected GP2 champion Davide Valsecchi to make the step up, but Lotus’s battle for second in the constructors’ championship has led them to look for experience.
“We are fighting for third place…so we need a driver with experience who is used to the struggle of winning points,” Boullier is quoted as saying.
Kovalainen, a former McLaren race winner, is gearing up for a full-time return in 2014 with Caterham.
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