Red Bull impressed by Grosjean at Suzuka

Romain Grosjean was in contention for victory in the first part of the Japanese Grand Prix before being caught by the Red Bull when switching to hard tires where the Lotus struggled more. The Frenchman led the race after a superb takeoff from fourth position and showed great combativeness against pole sitter Mark Webber who had tires in better condition in the final laps before giving in to the Australian a few laps down. of arrival.

Sebastian Vettel, who yesterday signed his fifth consecutive victory this season and who moved a little closer to a fourth title, was surprised by the level of performance of Romain Grosjean. “After the start and the first stint, I thought Romain’s race was going to be superb. Romain did a very good job and delivered superb performances throughout the weekend, notably surpassing Kimi (Räikkönen, ninth on the grid) and we know that Kimi is a competitive driver. I think Romain made some mistakes last year, but the most important thing is that he learned from his mistakes. He learned a lot and progressed. This deserves the greatest respect. »

After a checkered season where the former GP2 Series champion had to face numerous criticisms, the Lotus driver is on an upward slope with two consecutive podiums, his fourth since the start of the season. “It is certain that Romain has a psychological approach to his work this year”, added Mark Webber. “He had some great races putting everything together over the whole weekend, which is a sign that a driver is starting to be more relaxed and confident. He makes a lot fewer mistakes, not only in racing but also in testing. »

Discover the analysis of the Japanese Grand Prix carried out by our special correspondents in issue 1931 of AUTOhebdo, available from tomorrow in digital version on all platforms, and from Wednesday on newsstands.