Sunday: No Lotus F1 in the points in Hungary
Romain Grosjean had to retire during the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix following an off-track excursion, while Pastor Maldonado didn't have the pace to fight for points but the Venezuelan is satisfied to have brought his Lotus to the checkered flag.
Pastor Maldonado (No. 13) – 13th
The Venezuelan was not in the fight for points but is still satisfied with his Grand Prix, especially because he was able to see the checkered flag: « It was a difficult race for us. It was tricky to find enough grip, and the track surface was very slippery. We didn’t always have full power, which added to our challenges in what was already a fairly complicated race with changing weather conditions. We were not able to catch up with the cars that were ahead of us on the straights, which made overtaking difficult, and there are not many places to overtake here. The most important thing is that we covered the 70 laps, so we have a lot of information to improve the car. »
Romain Grosjean (No. 8) – Abandonment
The Frenchman seemed well on his way to being in the mix for points but made a mistake with the slicks: « We didn’t finish the race today which is very disappointing. The conditions on the track this afternoon were really very tricky and we didn’t get the most out of the tires. We made the right decision to switch to slicks during the safety car arrival – like most of the grid – but I made a mistake trying to get them up to temperature. Unfortunately, I touched the white line, spun out, and it was over. »
Grosjean is disappointed and sorry for his team but hopes to come back stronger after the traditional summer break: « I am really sorry for everyone in the team who gives everything to allow me to have the best car possible. Hopefully, these last two weeks of work and the break ahead of us will allow us to move forward and come back stronger for the next race at Spa. »
