- United States Grand Prix - FP2
Grosjean impressed with Kovalainen debut
Romain Grosjean said he was pleased to see Heikki Kovalainen immediately on the pace for Lotus in practice for the United States Grand Prix.
Kovalainen has replaced Kimi Raikkonen for the final two races of the season, with his experience earning him the seat ahead of reserve driver Davide Valsecchi as Lotus is chasing Mercedes and Ferrari in the constructors' championship.
Asked if there had been a noticeable difference having Kovalainen in the team, Grosjean replied: "He speaks much more!
"He's a good driver and it's really nice to see him up to speed so quickly. He knows Formula One, he knows the tyres and it's just the colour of the car that has changed along with a few bits and pieces around. It's good to see him right there and it's a good chance for the team to score points.
"I'm happy with that and it's always good for me to have different team-mates and see how they're driving; what they do better or differently. I also think he has a style which is a little bit closer to mine than Kimi."
Reflecting on his chances in Austin, Grosjean said he feels Lotus is more likely to be fighting with Mercedes than Red Bull.
"It should be more or less like that to be honest. But you never know, tomorrow could be a surprise. We'll try to do our best but I think Red Bull - even though the long run pace today was as good as Red Bull - you never know what they are doing."
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