» Lotus set to confirm two test drivers

Reports in Italy claim that GP2 drivers Luiz Razia and Davide Valsecchi look set to join Team Lotus as the outfit’s test drivers.

The GP2 veterans are likely to be called up in place of regular drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli on some Friday morning practice sessions, as the team’s former test driver Fairuz Fauzy did last year.

It is also believed that the pair will be signed to the outfit’s sister Air Asia GP2 team.

Brazil’s Razia was a test driver for Virgin Racing last year, who last drove for the squad in the Young Driver Test at Abu Dhabi in December.

Valsecchi is a three-year GP2 veteran and winner of the 2009 GP2 Asia championship. The Italian’s sole F1 outing has been with Hispania Racing during the same test at Abu Dhabi where he proved particularly quick in the F110 chassis, to the point that team boss Colin Kolles expressed a strong interest in signing him for 2011.

However, it would seem that Valsecchi has not been able to raise enough funding to secure a drive at HRT, and has instead opted for the seemingly cheaper route via Team Lotus.

[Original images via AUTOSPORT]