After such a dismal start to the season, Lotus has finally delivered on the form that it has been saying would come as Romain Grosjean qualified a brilliant fifth for tomorrow’s Spanish Grand Prix.
The team’s efforts in 2014 have been blighted so far by a number of problems with the car, the engine and financial troubles on the side. However, after cruelly being denied some points in China by a gearbox failure, Grosjean appears to be well in the running to make up for it this weekend after finishing inside the top five on Saturday.
The Frenchman only just managed to make it through Q1, but looked more comfortable during Q2 and Q3 as he produced a lap time that put himself ahead of both Ferrari drivers and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel. In fact, only Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas could outqualify him.
In the sister Lotus, though, it was a very different story. Pastor Maldonado’s session lasted just 90 seconds as he spun his car into the wall at turn three, ruining the front end and bringing out the red flag. For the third time this season, he will start the race from last place.
It was another sloppy error from the Venezuelan driver, who has scored just one point in the last 24 races. It is hard to believe that this is the same driver who claimed a shock victory at this very circuit two years ago.
However, Lotus will undoubtedly choose to look on the bright side of qualifying. Grosjean’s result proves that the E22 does indeed have the pace to fight at the sharp end of the field, and the Frenchman will now be keen on converting this into his first points of the season on Sunday.
Three riders remain locked in a tight battle with 17 points separating the leader Cooper Webb from third-place Chase Sexton and these are only a few Supercross numbers to consider entering Seattle.Chase Sexton made a statement in Detroit with his second win of 2023. – Feld Motor Sports
Webb and Tomac won the last four championships with two apiece in alternating years, but they were not one another’s primary rival for most of those seasons. On the average, however, the past four years show an incredible similarity with average points earned of 21.0 for Webb and 21.3 for Tomac. With five wins so far this season, Tomac (23 wins) leads Webb (19) in victories but Webb (43) edges Tomac (41) in podium finishes during this span.
Tomac has won two of the last three Seattle races and those two wins in this stadium are topped only by James Stewart. Fittingly, if Tomac gets a third win this week, he will tie Stewart for second on the all-time wins’ list. Tomac tied Ricky Carmichael for third with 48 wins at Oakland and took sole possession of that spot with his Daytona win.
Sexton still has a lot to say and after winning last week in Detroit, he is speaking up. The Supercross numbers are against him entering Seattle, however, because a points’ deficit this large after Round 10 has been erased only once. In 1983 David Bailey was 47 points behind Bob Hannah, and like Sexton he was also in third place. Bailey took the points’ lead with one race remaining.
The seven points Sexton was penalized last week for jumping in a red cross flag section in Detroit could prove extremely costly.
In fact, it has been a series of mistakes that has cost Sexton the most. In the last two weeks, he lost 10 points with a 10th-place finish to go with his penalty. Erase those, and all three riders hold their fate in their hands.
Plessinger’s heartbreak in Detroit is still fresh, but the upside of his run is that was his best of the season and could turn his fortunes around. Prior to that race, he led only seven laps in three mains. He was up front for 20 laps in Detroit with five of those being the fastest on the track.
Last week’s win by Hunter Lawrence tied him with his brother Jett Lawrence for 17th on the all-time wins’ list. With the focus shifting to 250 West for the next two rounds, Jett has a great opportunity to pull back ahead. The real test will be at the first East / West Showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 22.
Last Five Seattle Winners
450s 2022: Eli Tomac
2019: Marvin Musquin
2018: Eli Tomac
2017: Marvin Musquin
2014: Ryan Villopoto
