Grosjean delights in crazy end to race

Lotus Romain Grosjean admitted his second podium finish this year came as something of a surprise after he powered through to second place from fifth in the final stint of the race.

The Frenchman started the race in seventh place and spent the first part of the race holding that position. He dived into pit lane on lap 21 and took on the soft compound tyres he would race on for the remainder of the grand prix.

Thereafter he climbed to fifth behind leader Lewis Hamilton, second-placed Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and fourth-placed Mark Webber.

Webber pitted for a second time on lap 52 and drifted back to seventh and then in the closing stages the battle at the front changed shape. Hamilton made a second stop and Alonso and Vettel opted to stay out, trying to nurse their tyres to the end.

The gambit failed, however, and the times of both dropped dramatically. Vettel relented on lap 63, pitting for new tyres but Alonso tried to hold on. It didn’t work and Grosjean swept past to take second four laps from home.

“I saw Mark coming in my and tyres were quite fresh but then I didn’t realise I was third and I then I saw Fernando slowing down and I was second,” he said. “It was a crazy end to the race because I was thinking P5 or P4 but the pace stayed there and the team did a fantastic job with the car, which was good on tyres. We knew with the heat we would be better today, and it was good for us and it is fantastic to be on my second podium this season.”

Grosjean later dedicated his podium finish to sportscar driver Guillaume Moreau, who was injured in an accident last week while testing for the Le Mans 24 Hour race.

“I really want to dedicate this result to them [the team], to friends and to, today, Guillaume Moreau, which was on my helmet, who had a crash at the Le Mans test day last week. I wish him a good recovery. And I’m very happy that he was on my helmet for this race.”