• Singapore Grand Prix

Lotus reprimanded for Grosjean pit stop

ESPN Staff
September 22, 2013 « McLaren podium not possible - Button | Vettel 'only human' when it comes to booing - Horner »
Romain Grosjean looked set for a podium before he retired © Getty Images
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Lotus has been reprimanded for letting a member of its team work on Romain Grosjean's car without head protection during the race.

A Renault Sport engineer came into the pit lane to try to top up the air supply to Grosjean's engine during the race after excessive consumption concerned Renault's technicians. However, the team member was not wearing head protection, which is against the rules and the team was reprimanded.

Renault Sport's Remi Taffin explained the decision to bring the car in: "Despite Romain having a brand new engine for this race, the air consumption over the first part of the race was very high. We asked the team to pit to top up the air in the pneumatic system but the fix was only temporary and we had to retire the car the next lap."

Grosejan felt a podium was possible had he not had the problem.

"The race was going pretty well and I think a second or third place finish was a realistic prospect," he said. "We had a good strategy pitting under the safety car and we should have finished well, but unfortunately today my engine had other ideas. We lost air pressure and the team tried to fix the problem by topping it up with an additional pit stop, but that didn't work so we had to retire which is never what you want to happen."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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