Grosjean: 'The boys deserved a really good drive from me'

40

A charging Romain Grosjean made the most of a 10-lap mad dash in the closing stages of the German Grand Prix to deliver a sixth-place finish to Haas.

The French driver was in search of a redemptive performance following several recent mishaps, and Sunday's race provided a good opportunity for him to regain his footing.

Both Grosjean and team mate Kevin Magnussen appeared on course for a double-points finish, but Hockenheim's spotty showers in the latter part of the afternoon and the chaos it brought on proceedings denied the US outfit that achievement.

The Dane actually had the upper hand over Grosjean but the team's decision to switch to intermediates during the safety car period that followed Sebastian Vettel's crash, inversed the positions, with the Frenchman never looking back thereafter after the duo pitted again to revert to ultrasoft rubber.

"That was good fun. It was a good end to the race," said a delighted Grosjean.

"Obviously, we didn’t quite get the right choice putting inters on, as the track dried really quickly for some reason.

Hamilton victorious after Vettel crashes out of the lead

"It was a bit of luck, a gamble, but we came back on slicks, and I had amazing fun through those last laps."

Indeed, Grosjean overhauled both Force Indias, but fifth-place man Nico Hulkenberg remained out of reach.

"I was just pushing it to the limit and going for it. I think we would’ve been quite happy to be where we were before the rain came, and then, obviously, it rained.

"The boys deserved a really good drive from me, and I had fun doing it."

Unfortunately, Magnussen was unable to extricate himself from his position deep in the midfield. From P12 however, Kevin was elevated to P11 when Renault's Carlos Sainz was hit with a 10-second time penalty for overtaking during the safety car period.

"Obviously, it wasn’t ideal to end up outside of the points after being P6 for the whole race," said the Dane.

"We didn’t quite get the best out of the weather situation. We’ll just have to learn from that and do better next time."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.