Romain Grosjean believes improved qualifying form is all that stands between Lotus and winning races after surging to second place in Canada.
Montreal runner-up says improving qualy pace the key for Lotus
Romain Grosjean believes improved qualifying form is all that stands between Lotus and winning races in wake of their latest podium finish in Canada.
The Enstone-based outfit have regularly been tipped to become the latest first-time winner in 2012 over recent events owing to their E20's consistently strong race form, but second place remains their best result so far this season.
Grosjean, who claimed the second podium position of his F1 career by coming home as runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in Montreal, reckons Lotus aren't that far away from the very top teams and feels that earlier in the weekend in Canada they had taken steps forward with the understanding of the car.
"The gap is not that big," he said. "We need to qualify better, that is not our strength this season but we are working on it.
"I think Friday and Saturday were quite difficult for us but we have been learning a lot about the car so it's good that we now have that in our pocket for the next races. Then you never know."
After a missed opportunity last time out in Monaco, when he collided with first Fernando Alonso and then Michael Schumacher at the start, Grosjean says his return to the podium felt good and proved that Lotus's Bahrain victory near-miss wasn't a flash in the pan.
"It means quite a lot. It means that we're in good shape for working with the team who are improving every time," the Frenchman explained.
"We had a bad Friday with quite different conditions compared to today and having to learn the track and the set-up of the car wasn't easy and I'm sure we could have achieved better but we know it for the rest of the season.
"We are working quite well, so I'm pretty pleased with this podium. It means that we are still here after seven races and it was not one shot that we could get in Bahrain. We are still fighting at the front with good performance and the team is doing well with the Lotus E20."
