Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean thought he might beat a Red Bull
Haas Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean initially thought he might be able to split the two Red Bulls in qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix
Grosjean was seventh quickest in qualifying and will start Sunday's race sixth, best of those behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, as Haas continues to excel at the Red Bull Ring.
The Frenchman ended up half a second slower than Max Verstappen in the nearest Red Bull, but felt he would have been closer if he had not stopped on track with an electronics problem.
"At one point I thought maybe we could try to get a Red Bull but it was a bit too optimistic, so very happy with what we have," said Grosjean.
"In Q3 I only did my lap on scrubbed tyres, because we had only one [fresh] set of tyres and when we went out with the issue I stopped the car.
"Red Bull, 1m04.8s or 1m04.9s...I'm not sure I could've been there.
"But I'm very proud of my last sector, which is already more than the car can do - two hundredths from the best here.
"I'll try to keep P6 as much as I can, or get a good start, then I won't lose time just battling for 71 laps trying to close the door."
Grosjean admitted he was surprised by Haas's upturn in form in Austria, having struggled for pace in the previous races in Azerbaijan and Canada.
"I was coming here not expecting much," he said.
"We've been working hard and sorting out problems back home.
"We got here and the car actually worked better, I guess, with more of a conventional set-up than we were [using] recently.
"I think the fact that we were not fast in the straight line in the last two races, we had to take so much downforce out that the car became very, very tricky to drive, and of course problems are more obvious when you've got low grip."
Team-mate Kevin Magnussen will only start 15th after an upper wishbone broke on his rear suspension at the end of Q1, preventing him from taking part in the rest of qualifying.
Haas will evaluate the gearbox to see if it was damaged as a result of the failure, and may have to change it and take a grid penalty.
Magnussen had no doubts he would have been able to challenge Grosjean for a row-three start, which the Frenchman gains by Lewis Hamilton's five-place grid penalty.
"I've been in front of him all weekend," said Magnussen. "It's very annoying and frustrating.
"Although we were competitive the field is very close, we won't be a second faster than the guys around.
"You need that to be able to overtake.
"It's going to be difficult if it's just a normal dry race."
Previous article
Renault forced to replace three MGU-Hs after Ricciardo problem
Next article
Honda faces dilemma over Alonso's F1 engine after Austria failure
The times that suggest Verstappen should be confident of F1 Russian GP recovery
For the second race in a row, Mercedes has ended the first day of track action on top. It’s in a commanding position at the Russian Grand Prix once again – this time largely thanks to Max Verstappen’s upcoming engine-change grid penalty. But there’s plenty to suggest all hope is not lost for the championship leader at Sochi
The ‘backwards step’ that is the right move for Formula 1
OPINION: With its days apparently numbered, the MGU-H looks set to be dropped from Formula 1’s future engine rules in order to entice new manufacturers in. While it may appear a change of direction, the benefits for teams and fans could make the decision a worthwhile call
The floundering fortunes of F1’s many Lotus reboots
Team Lotus ceased to exist in 1994 - and yet various parties have been trying to resurrect the hallowed name, in increasingly unrecognisable forms, ever since. DAMIEN SMITH brings GP Racing’s history of the legendary team to an end with a look at those who sought to keep the flame alive in Formula 1
Why the 2021 title fight is far from F1's worst, despite its toxic background
OPINION: Formula 1 reconvenes for the Russian Grand Prix two weeks after the latest blow in ‘Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton’. While the Silverstone and Monza incidents were controversial, they thankfully lacked one element that so far separates the 2021 title fight from the worst examples of ugly championship battles
How F1’s other champion to emerge from 1991 thrived at Lotus
Mika Hakkinen became Michael Schumacher’s biggest rival in Formula 1 in the late-90s and early 2000s, having also made his F1 debut in 1991. But as MARK GALLAGHER recalls, while Schumacher wowed the world with a car that was eminently capable, Hakkinen was fighting to make his mark with a famous team in terminal decline
The forgotten F1 comeback that began Jordan’s odyssey
Before Michael Schumacher – or anyone else – had driven the 191 (or 911 as it was initially called), Eddie Jordan turned to a fellow Irishman to test his new Formula 1 car. JOHN WATSON, a grand prix winner for Penske and McLaren, recalls his role in the birth of a legend…
The squandered potential of a 70s F1 underdog
A podium finisher in its first outing but then never again, the BRM P201 was a classic case of an opportunity squandered by disorganisation and complacency, says STUART CODLING
The other notable Monza escape that F1 should learn from
OPINION: The headlines were dominated by the Italian Grand Prix crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who had the halo to thank for avoiding potentially serious injury. But two days earlier, Formula 1 had a lucky escape with a Monza pitlane incident that could also have had grave consequences
