De Villota aiming for Lotus Renault third driver role in 2012

Superleague Formula racer Maria de Villota says she is close to inking a deal with the Lotus Renault GP Formula One team to become their third driver next season.

31-year-old de Villota - whose father Emilio de Villota qualified for two grand prix from 15 attempts between 1976 and '82 - has spent the past few years racing in Superleague with limited success. In August she got her first F1 run, testing Lotus Renault's R29 machine at Paul Ricard, and admitted at the time that a future third driver role was being discussed.

The Spanish racer now says she is aiming to be the "Friday or the replacement driver" for the team in 2012, as well as being "focused towards 2013", when she hopes she can land a full-time race seat.

"We have all the pieces, all that remains is to fit them together during a day for some simple negotiating points," said de Villota.

"There are many women who can drive well and so it is important to try to open the way for others to see that it is not something so unusual."

De Villota has had something of a nomadic motorsport career thus far. Prior to her stint in Superleague the Madrid native competed in F3 and Euroseries 3000, as well as a number of GT and touring car series.


James Weeks