Romain Grosjean on the Bahrain podiumRomain Grosjean has put his below par start to the 2013 F1 season firmly behind him, believes a Lotus team engineer.
Employed by engine supplier Renault, Brazilian Ricardo Penteado actually works on Kimi Raikkonen’s car.
But after the Frenchman’s troubled start to 2013, culminating in a brand new chassis for the 27-year-old in Bahrain, Grosjean finished on the podium last time out in Bahrain.
Penteado thinks the performance shows that Grosjean has moved on from 2012, when Mark Webber branded him a ‘first lap nutcase’ following a string of crashes.
“I think he can forget about 2012 now,” he told Brazil’s Totalrace.
“His overtaking was all perfect; he didn’t put anyone out,” said Penteado. “It was clean and really showed who Grosjean is — especially his speed.”
“He showed last year that he is a very fast driver, and I would say he can use the systems of the car even better than Kimi. His challenge is to find the right setup, and having a little more confidence in himself,” added Penteado.