Kovalainen Jumps Into Lotus Hot Seat After Raikkonen's Early 'Finnish'

The Lotus F1 Team has officially announced that Heikki Kovalainen will stand-in for Kimi Raikkonen, who is undergoing back surgery, for the remainder of the 2013 season.

The Finn was chosen over reserve driver Davide Valsecchi for his experience. He made his debut for Renault in 2007 before stints at McLaren and Caterham. He was dropped from the latter for this season but took a role as reserve driver, completing several outings for the team in free practice.

Commenting on the news, he said: "It is a fantastic opportunity for me to join Lotus F1 Team for the final two races of 2013. Jumping into a car so late in the year when you have not been competing in the races all season will be a challenge, but I know the team at Enstone well so I have no concerns about getting up to speed."

Kovalainen will drive car number seven in the final two races of the season in the USA and Brazil.