Pedro de la Rosa unimpressed with Romain Grosjean incident

Pedro de la Rosa has explained how he was unimpressed with Romain Grosjean’s “dangerous maneuver” during qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix, as the Frenchman tried to overtake de la Rosa on the inside through the final sweeping corner, which ended in a minor collision between the two.

Luckily for both drivers the incident was not as big one, however both cars did receive minor damage which subsequently hindered their progress in the opening qualifying segment. Romain Grosjean lost his front wing and coasted back to the pits, whereas Pedro de la Rosa suffered and puncture and damage to his rear suspension. The Spaniard was greatly unsatisfied once the session drew to a conclusion, with de la Rosa set to start tomorrow’s 71-lap race from 24th and last on the grid.

“I’m not happy with how qualifying ended.” Admitted Pedro de la Rosa, “Our car was competitive and we certainly could have done better but I was on a flying lap when I was hit by another car. It was a dangerous maneuver because I couldn’t move aside given the track conditions. As a consequence of the impact, the rear suspension bent and also punctured the rear tyre.

“I went back in for a new set of mediums and fortunately managed to put in one more lap improving my time. I really hope the car is not badly damaged because the race is tomorrow and I want to be able to do my best here in order to finish the season on a good note.”

Romain Grosjean understandably had a different view on the matter, believing Pedro de la Rosa’s move on track was pointless, as the two collided at the final curve. This incident also ruined Grosjean’s afternoon, as the Frenchman was unable to progress to Q2 and subsequently qualified 18th for tomorrow’s race. This was the first time Grosjean had been eliminated after Q1, and was therefore upset with his poor luck.

“Unfortunately there’s not much to say.” Explained a despondent Romain Grosjean, “I stayed behind Pedro [de la Rosa] during his flying lap to not disturb his time, but then when we got to the straight I tried to get past and he just didn’t see me. I braked as much as I could but it was too late; he moved across, there was contact which broke my front wing and that was my afternoon ruined. To be honest I’m pretty upset about it; of course, every driver is out there fighting for position but pulling that kind of move when the car behind is clearly faster is just pointless.”

The race stewards have decided that no further action is to be taken again either of the drivers, however with Romain Grosjean still yet to be confirmed at Lotus for next season alongside Kimi Raikkonen, the Frenchman will be striving for a competitive drive during tomorrow’s 71-lap Brazilian Grand Prix. With inclement weather on the horizon, Grosjean will be looking to rise steadily through the order with an aim of at least scoring further points to add to his Championship tally.

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