Romain Grosjean impresses Lotus
By achieving his best result at the end of a complicated race, Romain Grosjean scored significant points in the championship but also with his team, who are delighted with the speed at which he is learning and improving.
For his first Canadian Grand Prix, Romain Grosjean made an impression both within his team and in the paddock. On Saturday, the French-Swiss driver managed to bring his E20 to an almost unexpectedly seventh position while his teammate failed to make it into the top 10 due to hydraulic issues.
In the race, Lotus took a gamble by making only one stop, just like Vettel and Alonso, who were in a better position at the start. This strategy paid off as it allowed Grosjean to climb onto the second step of the podium, marking his best result to date.
« It’s fantastic. It’s a result I didn’t expect today. We knew the race was going to be difficult. When I saw 5th on the board, then 4th, then 3rd, and then I see Fernando in trouble, second, » explains the person concerned in a video made with the participation of Total.
Same shared enthusiasm from the team’s management and Eric Boullier. « He continues to surprise me. He works hard, listens, and collaborates a lot with the engineers. But it’s not just about work, because he learns a lot from the test data and applies the advice given by the team well. What I believe is promising is that he has the pace and can complete an entire race with great consistency. He did 45 laps with the same tires. He is learning, and he is doing it quickly. » explains the Frenchman.
This second podium after Bahrain allows Romain Grosjean to come within just two points of his teammate, who did not have an easy weekend in Canada.
After experiencing the joys of the podium several times, Lotus only has to climb to the top step of the podium, which remains realistic considering the gap with Hamilton at the finish in Canada was small. « Hamilton finished within two seconds more or less, so we believe in it, » smiled Grosjean, who would like to become the eighth winner of a GP this season. Indeed, with seven different winners in seven races, the 2012 season is very open.
« If it’s hot, it should be good. Then the setup brought for Silverstone and for Germany should help us and in Hungary maybe as well, » analyzes Eric Boullier.
