Having spent four years in the Renault driver development programme, Lucas Di Grassi joins the Formula One team in 2008 as the team's test and reserve driver.

Di Grassi began his karting career in Brazil with immediate success, becoming Sao Paulo Champion in 1997, Brazilian champion the following year, and finally South American champion in 1999. The winning trend continued in 2000 with a Pan American title and a fifth place in World Cup Formula A.

He competed in the Formula Renault Brazilian championship in 2002, taking the runner up position before taking the same result the following year in the South American F3 championship. A move to the British F3 championship followed in 2004 where Di Grassi took two wins en route to eighth position in the championship.

Again with RDD backing, Di Grassi moved on to the fiercely competitive F3 Euro Series in 2005 and with seven podiums and third overall in the championship. However, the defining moment of the year was his victory on the streets of Macau.

Di Grassi joined the GP2 series in 2006 racing with Durango and finished 16th in the championship before moving to ART Grand Prix in 2007 and finishing the season runner up to champion Timo Glock.

The Sao Paulo native will be learning the F1 ropes with Renault in 2008.