Renault is not ruling out a grand prix debut this year for its new reserve driver Fairuz Fauzy.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian, who has switched with the Group Lotus-owning carmaker Proton from Team Lotus for 2011, appeared on the Friday morning at a few grands prix last year.<\/p>\n
Closely aligned with Proton, the 28-year-old could be promoted for a race debut towards the end of the season, Lotus Renault GP team boss Eric Boullier reportedly told Malaysia’s Star newspaper.<\/p>\n
The report said Frenchman Boullier advised that “if Fairuz did well at some point in time towards the end of the season, he would give him a shot at it”.<\/p>\n
“He (Boullier) added that it all depended on Fairuz himself on whether or not he made it as a F1 driver as there were many emerging talent around,” added the Star report.<\/p>\n
Boullier said: “He (Fauzy) is being developed and trained for better things with us and is not going to be a passenger.\u00a0 He has potential and we need to work on him to make him mentally and physically ready for such sport.”<\/p>\n
Boullier added that the details of Fauzy’s contract are being negotiated now.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Proton managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin denied that Renault had ‘pinched’ Fauzy from Team Lotus just one year into a five year deal.<\/p>\n
“There was no pinching him before his contract expired or any other dealing prior to that.\u00a0 We are all professionals,” he insisted.<\/p>\n
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