Eric Boullier admits confirming Romain Grosjean due to his positive attitude – Formula 1 news
Lotus F1’s team principal, Eric Boullier, has admitted that they retained Romain Grosjean for 2013 F1 season due to his positive attitude about accepting his mistakes.
Boullier stated their decision would have been certainly different if Grosjean had refused to accept the mistakes he did in the 2012 F1 season.
“He clearly showed us, with some feedback from the engineers in the teams, that everything he was taught – and everything he learned – was applied in his understanding of what is a complex matter,” he said. “He definitely proved to us that he wanted to do
well and it was really clear.”
Boullier said that he was advised to choose the best possible teammate for Kimi Raikkonen in the upcoming season.
“There was a clear strategy from the board to push with two fast drivers so we can be a top team – which means fighting in the top three and going for more wins,” he added.
He told that once this strategy was finalised, they were considering Grosjean as an option but were also hesitant due to his on track incidents during this past season. Boullier said that Gerard Lopez, who is the Lotus F1’s owner, was trying to understand
why the French driver could not deliver as he wanted to and also it was important that Grosjean understood what the team required from him. He said that after everything was clear, the decision was obvious for them.
Boullier is of the opinion that the race ban on Grosjean following the Belgian GP caused an obstruction in his performance but he has proved himself on various occasions and the team believes in him.
For his part, Grosjean thanked the team in an email saying that he is looking forward to a better and stronger future with them.
Grosjean secured three podium finishes for the team in 2012 but was also involved in some first lap incidents. He finished eighth in the drivers’ championship and this was his first full season in F1. He also won the Race of Champions (ROC) individual event
just ahead of his confirmation for 2013 with Lotus F1.
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