Lotus trackside operations director Alan Permane praised a “textbook performance” by Romain Grosjean to take third on the grid for the Korean Grand Prix.
Grosjean took the risk of not using the super-soft tyres in Q1 in order to save an extra set for Q3. He set fourth-fastest time which became third on the grid after Webber’s penalty.
“We’re very happy with Romain’s qualifying position after a textbook performance through all three sessions with everything going absolutely to plan,” said Permane.
“He soaked up the extra pressure to get through the first session using only the medium compound tyre and the benefit of doing that was having two sets of the super soft in the final session.”
Grosjean said: “Our aim was to be up there fighting with the Mercedes today and that’s exactly where we were.”
“The Red Bulls were always going to be quick, so to be reasonably close to them in terms of the times is not too bad. Gaining a place on the grid just because another driver has been penalised is not how you want to move forwards, but I’ve had to cope with it before myself and it’s part of the sport.”
“Of course, it will be an advantage for us as it means we’ll start on the clean side of the track.”
2013 Korean Grand Prix
Image © Lotus/LAT
Neel Jani (@neelv27)
5th October 2013, 10:46
Hulk and Romain at Lotus. Bring it on!!
Alex
5th October 2013, 11:27
I’d love to see that. Grosjean looks to have controlled his wild crashing streak and Was hasn’t been said about the Hulk that has already been said. Lotus surely would have one of the quickest line ups in the field
Nick (@nick-uk)
5th October 2013, 12:45
+1
Force Maikel (@force-maikel)
5th October 2013, 11:15
It was a good performance for Romain because he needed it to promote himself. A HUL-GOR pairing at Lotus next season could be nice but lets not forget others are on the prawl including a Brazilian with aparantly a nice sack of cash to assist the troubled team with an identity crisis.
Marks
5th October 2013, 11:54
I’m actually quite upset by Hulk not having already been signed. I like Hulkenberg because of his pole in Brazil 2010, that drive in Brazil 2012 and his qualifying and drive recently at Monza. I jumped off my couch in 2010 I was so excited.
Esteban Gutiérrez is improving but he’s not got a pole or even close. Hulk did get soundly beaten by Rubens in 2010 yet got that pole. It’s that something extra that Ricciardo, Vergne, Grosjean, Massa, di Resta, Sutil, Gutiérrez and Botas don’t have (or haven’t demonstrated up to this point). Even Perez showed something last year, which deservedly got him a better ride.
Is it possible that the big teams are afraid of Hulkenberg? That he’s got the potential to out qualify the big four? in any case, I honestly believe Hulkenberg in the same machine (Lotus) could put the car ahead of Webber and achieve 3rd without the help of a Webber grid penalty.
Denis 68
5th October 2013, 11:33
Grosjean is creaming Raikkonen in the second half of the season. Maybe Ferrari poached the wrong Lotus driver.
erix
5th October 2013, 12:47
The right driver, the plan was to make less threat from Kimi and seal Ferrari second place in 2013. Ferrari is famous to pay other driver and engineer prior the contract to influence them psychologically.
Look what happened to James Allison.
Dave (@)
5th October 2013, 13:55
Evidence or it didn’t happen.
erix
6th October 2013, 9:33
Evidence only for court, not for press. Btw, Kimi finished 2nd to Grosjean 3rd, do team actually need qualifying or race result?
Dave (@)
6th October 2013, 12:03
So you’re making stuff up again.
erix
6th October 2013, 15:42
And your creaming also evidence?
Dave (@)
6th October 2013, 15:55
Backstroke defenestrate tyre.
See, I can write nonsense too.
erix
6th October 2013, 16:03
..and look how the other readers reply to you, mr.nonsense.
andae23 (@andae23)
5th October 2013, 17:27
…whut?
Candice
5th October 2013, 14:59
you are joking right?? We have seen when romain struggle, he’s nowhere. When Kimi struggle at least it only affect his quali.
George (@george)
5th October 2013, 16:25
Romain was teammate to Alonso before, it didn’t go well for him.
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
5th October 2013, 17:25
@george it didn’t go well for him irrespective of that.
Lord Stig (@lord-stig)
5th October 2013, 17:56
There is no evidence to support that. Since the half waypoint Raikkonen has scored 33 points and Romain 16.
scuderia_fan85 (@scuderia_fan85)
5th October 2013, 23:14
u r incredibly wrong. go check the results again and see who has finished ahead more…
David Margono (@woshidavid95)
5th October 2013, 11:38
I was pretty worried for Grosjean during the first half of the season where he was outqualified 7-0 by Raikkonen in the first 7 races but I’m glad he turned the tables and made it 5-2 in his favour by the next 7 races like he did in the first half of 2012. With a little more luck he should be able to jump to 7th or maybe even 6th in the WDC standings, he was totally robbed of 3rd place in Singapore and likely Barcelona as well.
kcarrey (@kcarrey)
5th October 2013, 11:40
“textbook performance” makes me think he raced wearing schoolboy glasses
racer1984
6th October 2013, 15:14
And kind of irritating how this guy Alan Permane keeps on praising Grosjean right after Raikkonen announced that he will be driving for Ferrari next year.
Paige
5th October 2013, 12:47
It’s great to see things coming good for Grosjean in terms of his driving. He is clearly quick. He has always been clearly quick. He’s gone through his tough times in which he was crazy, and he has really improved in this respect. If he could only get some luck with the car, it looks like he is ready to start putting together consistent race performances characteristic of a winner and championship contender.
As for him beating Raikkonen, certainly he seems to have the hand in qualifying. But Kimi at this point seems to still have an edge in race pace. But this is the way it has almost always been with Kimi. He’s got a driving style that is a combination of very quick- even if it’s not always going to get the most out of a car over one lap- while minimizing tire deg. I think Romain is still a little too hard on the tires to really challenge Kimi for race pace.
Candice
6th October 2013, 1:59
Alan Permane said Kimi had front wing damage.
BasCB (@bascb)
5th October 2013, 19:21
Good to see Grosjean is starting do his job as was hoped he would after that great GP2 championship season.
HK (@me4me)
5th October 2013, 21:14
Good for him. He actually did a very nice job. Hope (like many others) to see a GRO-HUL pairing next year at Lotus. That should be pretty solid for the team.
Nick Jarvis (@)
5th October 2013, 21:24
This. I’d probably become a fan of them if they had this pairing, it sucks being a Caterham fan, especially being a fan since the start of their formation..
I really like Grosjean now, he’s so unpredictable, which makes him great to watch, and his one lap pace is incredible, and Hulk will definitely be at Ferrari when Alonso or Raikkonen go.