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Calado joins Gutierrez at Lotus ART

James Calado enjoyed an impressive debut season in GP3 © Sutton Images

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• Drivers:
• Esteban Gutiérrez

• Teams:
• Lotus ART

Lotus ART has announced that James Calado will join Esteban Gutierrez at the team for the 2012 GP2 season.

Calado was runner-up in his debut season in the GP3 series last year, again driving for Lotus ART, and that performance has earned him the step up to GP2. He replaces Jules Bianchi, and will make his debut in GP2 in the Abu Dhabi races at the end of the season. Calado said that the early confirmation would allow him to hit the ground running when the season gets underway.

"This is excellent news because it allows me to climb up an additional level very early in the season and I will then have the time to prepare myself for the challenge of the GP2 Series," Calado said. "I could not dream of a better team to meet this challenge with. Lotus ART's tremendous expertise and approach have no equal and with Lotus ART I know that I have everything I need to integrate myself quickly and well into this extremely competitive championship. Lotus ART and I have demonstrated what we can do in the GP3 Series and I hope that we will do the same in the GP2 Series."

Lotus ART team principal Cedric Vasseur said that Calado's performances in his first GP3 season had convinced the team he could be equally successful in GP2.

"James' performances in his first year in the GP3 Series was a key reason for continuing our collaboration in the GP2 Series. James impressed Lotus ART with his professional approach and his ability to face every race situation: safety car, changing track conditions, starting from the back of the grid, he was spared nothing and James always rose to the task with a remarkable state of mind and performances which enabled him to compete for the title down to the last race. I believe that James has the potential to pull the team to the top and to win races in 2012."

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