Romain Gro𒀰sjean is to become a father, the French driver revealed this weekend in ▨a tweet announcing this his wife Marion is expecting.

"Hi everyone, I'm very happy to confirm that [Marion] and I are expecting our first baby, due this summer. We are abs♎olutely delighted!," he posted in English on Twitter on Saturday evening.

On Sunday morning, the Lotus driver acknowledged the replies he'd received overnight with "Thanks t🌸o everyone fo🍰r your congrats!"

Grosjean also posted a longer message in French on his Facebook page, which read: "Hi all, I'm using my official fan page to announce that Marion and I are expecting a hap🐭py event for this summer.

"We're really excited! Now, being discrete in nature as the other one, you will understand that we do not want to communicate this new advantage ;-)" he added. "That said, bܫe sure that I focus 100% on the test session in Jerez!

"Thank you for your support!" he finished.

Grღosjean married his long-term partner, French TV TF1 motorsport journalist Marion Jolles, in June last year. The couple married in a mid-week ceremony at Chamonix attended by family and close friends, which꧋ included Lotus F1 team principal Eric Boullier.

The secret of the pregnancy had been all-but leaked a few days earlier when photos of the couple arriving at a gala last weekend strongly hinted that Marion might🎶 be expecting, but it wasn't until Saturday when Grosjean made the announcement himself via social media that the story was officially confirmed.

After the announcement it was quickly back down the business for the driver, with Grosjean adding on Twitter that he still had to pack in time to head off to Jerez for the first four day pre-season 💦test ahead of th🃏e start of this year's F1 Grand Prix season.