Grosjean to race in Korea

Romain Grosjean will race for Lotus this weekend in Korea despite calls for the Frenchman to be handed his second race ban.

Having become the first driver in almost two decades to be suspended after instigating a five-car pile-up at the start of September's Belgian GP, the Lotus driver became embroiled in yet another race-wrecking incident when he rammed into the back of Mark Webber's Red Bull at the second corner of Sunday's Japanese GP.

The youngster was widely castigated after the race, with an understandably aggrieved Webber labeling the 26-year-old as a "nutcase" and his team boss, Christian Horner, describing the botched move as "crazy". Even McLaren chief Martin Whitmarsh, whose team were inadvertent beneficiaries from Webber's luckless demise, felt moved to brand the incident as "classic Grosjean".

However, despite calls for a second suspension to be meted out, it has now been confirmed that retrospective sanctions cannot be imposed after the Suzuka race stewards punished Grosjean's latest offence during the race itself.

"The stewards imposed a 10-second stop-and-go-penalty on him during the race after his clash with Webber, and there is no facility to reopen such incidents after they have been dealt with," reports The Independent.

Yet it remains to be seen whether Grosjean will receive a hefty dose of peer pressure to mend his ways during Thursday's drivers' briefing when the sport reconvenes in Korea later this week - a prospect that Anthony Davidson has already made clear he would welcome.

"I don't know what can be done," Davidson said. "A one-race ban wasn't enough so I think it's up to the drivers and the GPDA and his team as well, because you don't want that happening all the time when he's one of your drivers."