It’s no secret that we’re all huge Kimi fans here at Down Shift, so it goes without saying that one of the clear highlights of the USGP was a chance to see Kimi and the Lotus team live and in race-action on US soil for a change.
Raikonnen lost three positions touching with a Force India car in turn 2 on the first lap. Grosjean, who lost 5 grid positions before the start of the race due to a gear box change, had an early spin that forced him in and onto hard tires. The Frenchman did well to fight back for seventh. “It was an okay day, but not a very easy one for us,” said Raikkonen, winner last time out in Abu Dhabi. “I got a bad start and then I touched with a Force India at the second corner so I lost a few more places. Basically, it was a race where we were just depending on the tyres to be in their window. I’m still 3rd in the championship and we’ll do everything we can to maintain this position until the end.” Grosjean was frustrated but reasonably content: “The start was good, the first lap was good and the pace was definitely there,” he said. “I recovered pretty well from where I was to finish P7 and was fighting Kimi at the end which is a positive sign. I pushed as hard as I could, so I was happy to bring home some more points for the team.”
