F1 / Bahrain: Grosjean surprised by his podium

Romain Grosjean made a splendid start from seventh on the grid to reach third place after the first lap of the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix. The Frenchman was even second after taking the advantage over Lewis Hamilton, but the reigning GP2 champion finally climbed to the last step of the podium after being overtaken by Kimi Räikkönen who had done well to keep his tires in qualifying. The feat is still significant for Romain Grosjean, who becomes the first Frenchman since Jean Alesi at the 1998 Belgian GP, ​​to finish a Grand Prix of Formula 1 in the top three, a week after winning his first points.

“It’s great, it’s a great feeling”, he comments. “I am very proud of the team and what we did. We knew we had a good car but I think we were a little surprised at first about our position. In the end, it didn't go too badly and I think our car is really competitive. We can be happy with this result. Getting into the points was a first step, but I didn't think the next one would come so quickly. We have a week off to enjoy it. The team can really be proud of their work because the level is very high and getting a car to the front is particularly difficult. We'll feel even better when we get back home before we get back to work. »

Discover the analysis of the Bahrain Grand Prix carried out by our special correspondents in the next issue of AUTOhebdo, available from Tuesday in digital version for iPad and from Wednesday on newsstands.