Grosjean Scrapes Through Spa Qualifying as Lotus Focuses on Points
Romain Grosjean only just made it into Q2 at Spa, eventually qualifying ninth for Lotus as both team cars reached the top ten ahead of the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix.
Romain Grosjean secured ninth on the grid for Lotus at the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix after a tense qualifying session at Spa-Francorchamps. Both Lotus drivers reached the top ten, but Grosjean’s route was far from straightforward, with the Frenchman only just scraping through Q1 after being blocked on his final flying lap.
Grosjean started qualifying on the hard Pirelli tyres, switching to mediums for his second run. A late push in Q1 saw him blocked, forcing him to settle for 17th and only just making the cut for Q2. In contrast, Kimi Räikkönen looked comfortable, finishing the first session fifth fastest. Both drivers switched strategies in Q2, with Grosjean running hard tyres and Räikkönen opting for mediums. Grosjean managed a strong lap to reach third at one stage, eventually finishing the session eighth and safely into Q3.
The final part of qualifying was closely fought. Räikkönen and Grosjean both ran on medium tyres, but neither could extract the maximum from the E20. Räikkönen ended up fourth, while Grosjean’s best effort put him ninth on a congested grid. Minor mistakes on their final laps cost both Lotus drivers a shot at higher positions, despite the car having shown promise earlier in the session.
Qualifying session breakdown for Lotus at Spa
| Driver | Q1 Position | Q1 Time | Q2 Position | Q2 Time | Q3 Position | Q3 Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimi Räikkönen | 5 | 1:49.546 | 2 | 1:48.414 | 4 | 1:48.205 |
| Romain Grosjean | 17 | 1:50.126 | 8 | 1:48.714 | 9 | 1:48.538 |
Why qualifying mattered for Lotus and Grosjean
Lotus had identified qualifying as a key factor in their pursuit of points, especially with the E20’s race pace often stronger than its one-lap speed. The team’s aim was to get both cars into the top ten, giving them a platform to challenge for podiums and maximise their Constructors’ Championship haul. For Grosjean, qualifying inside the top ten was particularly important after a season marked by inconsistency and incidents. Team principal Eric Boullier later made clear that both Grosjean and Räikkönen would need to score heavily if Lotus was to reach its target of breaking into the top three in the standings.
Grosjean himself acknowledged that while the team had strong qualifying speed, too many incidents had cost him and Lotus in 2012. The pressure was on to convert grid positions into points, with Spa’s result setting the tone for the final races of the season.
