Kimi Brasil

A mixed German Grand Prix all round for the team at Hockenheim; Kimi producing a fine drive to move up six positions while early damage for Romain compounded a trying weekend for the Frenchman.

Kimi Räikkönen, E20-05

• Grid: P10
• Race: P4
• Fastest Lap: 1:19.485 [Lap 56]

Romain Grosjean, E20-04

• Grid: P19
• Race: P18
• Fastest Lap: 1:20.013 [Lap 60]

Key Moments:

• Lap 01: KR up to P9, RG down to P24 after contact forces an early pit stop
• Lap 02: KR takes Lewis Hamilton; up to P8 only to be passed back the following lap
• Lap 05: KR moves past Paul Di Resta into P8 through T9 / T10
• Lap 11: KR pits for soft tyres, jumping Mark Webber to clinch P6 after Lewis Hamilton is forced to pit
• Lap 13: Fastest lap for KR; flying on fresh rubber
• Lap 15: Another position gained for KR; past Nico Hulkenberg into P5
• Lap 21: After a long battle, KR takes Michael Schumacher exiting T6 to take P4
• Lap 23: First round of stops complete; KR P4, RG P20
• Lap 25: RG pits for the medium compound tyres
• Lap 38: KR in for his 2nd stop; medium rubber this time around for the Finn
• Lap 40: KR reclaims the fastest lap of the race
• Lap 43: RG in for the third time; softs on this occasion
• Lap 50: Off-track excursion for RG; wide into the T12 gravel but recovers well
• Lap 67: Chequered flag; KR P4, RG P18

Summary:

Warm and dry conditions as the lights went out at Hockenheim; Both E20s starting the race on yellow marked soft compound Pirelli tyres.
A frantic first lap saw Kimi stay out of trouble to move up one position, while Romain’s bad luck continued; contact breaking the front wing and damaging the floor of his E20. Forced to make an unscheduled pit stop, the Frenchman made the switch to the white marked medium compound rubber.
The first phase proved equally as action-packed for the Finn; passing Lewis Hamilton, being re-passed by the McLaren, then making a move on Paul Di Resta. After an early stop for fresh softs, the 2007 World Champion jumped both Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton – in the pits / thanks to a puncture respectively – to find himself up in sixth.
Flying in the early stages, Kimi took the fastest lap of the race as he chased down Nico Hulkenberg; passing the German within three laps of his stop to take fifth in an opportunistic move by following Michael Schumacher past the Force India in the turn nine / ten complex.
 Settling into a good rhythm, the Finn remained glued to the back of the Mercedes in front; an intense battle ensuing before a fine move exiting the turn six hairpin clinched fourth place for the Iceman.
As the first round of stops filtered out, Kimi occupied fourth place while Romain remained pinned at the back of the field; twentieth for the Frenchman after his various troubles in the early stages.
A quiet period of the race for the Lotus F1 Team drivers created a busy phase for the team; two stops in five laps seeing both E20s emerge on medium tyres as the Finn once again notched the quickest time of the day thus far on fresh rubber.
The Iceman continued to clock personal best times and fastest sectors in the dying embers of the race, but with a significant gap to Jenson Button in front the podium was just out of reach as he came home in a strong fourth. Romain eventually limped over the line in a severely battered and bruised E20 to take eighteenth on a weekend to forget for the Frenchman.