Grosjean would like to succeed Ayrton Senna

Since the beginning of the season, Lotus has been regularly mentioned as a candidate for victory, but for one reason or another, it has not yet managed to climb to the top step of the podium. However, the record is good for the team led by Eric Boullier, as it has accumulated eight podiums, including three for Romain Grosjean, who is having a satisfactory first half of the season after a somewhat difficult start.

By matching Räikkönen and even outperforming the Finn in qualifying sessions (7-4 in favor of the GP2 champion), the Frenchman is therefore a logical candidate for victory when his team manages to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.

« I don’t think the pressure to win is greater. I believe the pressure is already present in F1. If we win, it will be great for the team members at the factory, for everything we have done since the beginning of the year and everything we have accomplished, » explains the Frenchman.

The next person to win driving a Lotus would follow in the footsteps of Ayrton Senna, who won the United States Grand Prix held in Detroit in 1987, driving the 99T in the colors of cigarette brand Camel, 25 years ago. The last victory of a black and gold Lotus dates back to the previous year on the same circuit, also with Senna at the wheel. It’s something that would add a special flavor to this potential success, which would also be Romain Grosjean’s first in the premier category.

« If I were the first driver to win for Lotus since Ayrton Senna, it would be something extra and a source of joy. It would be additional pleasure. »

With 79 victories, Lotus ranks 4th among the most successful teams in F1, far behind Williams with its 114 laurels and even more so behind the 219 first places achieved by Scuderia Ferrari since 1950.