Lotus did not consider employing team orders in order to boost Kimi Raikkonen's chances of winning the Bahrain grand prix. The 2007 world champion ultimately finished second and even had a stab at overtaking winner Sebastian Vettel.
And he might have had an ever better chance at challenging the Red Bull had his Lotus team chiefs ordered teammate Romain Grosjean aside at a crucial moment. "Yeah," confirmed Finn Raikkonen, "but there are no team orders and we know the rules. I tried to get past as quickly as I can but it's not easy with two similar cars. It's always easy to say afterwards 'if we had done that' but in the end we were not fast enough to win and we have to take the second," he added.
Despite team orders being effectively legal in F1, team boss Eric Boullier confirmed that Lotus does not follow that policy. "We don't want to play team orders, so we let them race normally and what happened, happened," he is quoted by the Mirror.
The most important thing, according to Spanish commentator and former veteran F1 engineer Joan Villadelprat, is that the former Renault team still knows how to win. "Maybe they don't have the best car on the grid, because McLaren and Red Bull and Mercedes are probably better, but Lotus have made a car capable of competing with the best in the right circumstances," he wrote in El Pais newspaper. (GMM)
Lotus lets Raikkonen and Grosjean race without interfering
- Published on 23 Apr 2012 10:47
-
0
- By: Rob Veenstra
.
Trending news
-
Schumacher Floats Verstappen to McLaren and Piastri to Red Bull SwapThe paddock rumour mill has produced a new scenario this week, and this one comes from Ralf Schumacher. The Lambiase ...
15 Apr 2026 16:02 -
Verstappen Stays at Red Bull, Hamilton Extends at Ferrari — How the Driver Market Actually LooksThe silly season has started unusually early in 2026, but the noise around driver moves is running well ahead of any ...
15 Apr 2026 11:52 -
Stella Says McLaren Are Stronger Than Ever and Ready to Attack From MiamiAndrea Stella is not pretending the season has gone to plan so far. McLaren lost both cars before the start in China,...
15 Apr 2026 14:59 -
Sky Sports Panel Says Aston Martin Situation Is a Nightmare With No Quick FixAston Martin have endured one of the worst starts to a season in the modern era of Formula 1, and the people analysin...
15 Apr 2026 13:56 -
McLaren Targeting Miami With Norris and Piastri After Quiet but Real ProgressMcLaren's progress between China and Japan was real, but understanding exactly what happened requires more than a...
15 Apr 2026 12:54
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
Test calendar
Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
-
Jan 26
I. Hadjar
- 1:18.159
-
-
-
Jan 27
M. Verstappen
- 1:19.578
-
-
-
Jan 28
A. Antonelli
- 1:17.362
-
-
-
Jan 29
G. Russell
- 1:16.445
-
-
-
Jan 30
L. Hamilton
- 1:16.348
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
-
-
-
Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
-
-
-
Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
-
-
Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
-
-
Feb 20
C. Leclerc
- 1:31.992
-
-
World Championship standings 2026
Pos
Driver
Team
Points
Pos
Team
Points
Related news
Give your opinion!
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Driver profile
- Team -
- Points -
- Podiums -
- Grand Prix -
- Country FR
- Date of b. Apr 17 1986 (39)
- Place of b. Geneve, FR
- Weight 71 kg
- Length 1.8 m
3 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Romain Grosjean
Team profile
- Team name McLaren
- Base Woking, United Kingdom
- Jenson Button 1
- Lewis Hamilton 1
- Fernando Alonso 1
- Niki Lauda 1
- Stoffel Vandoorne 2
- Lewis Hamilton 2
- Lewis Hamilton 2
- Gerhard Berger 2
- Daniel Ricciardo 3
- Jenson Button 3
- Lewis Hamilton 3
- Kimi Räikkönen 3
- Mika Häkkinen 3
- Lando Norris 4
- Lewis Hamilton 4
- Jenson Button 4
- Kimi Räikkönen 4
- Jenson Button 5
- Sergio Perez 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Niki Lauda 8
- Alain Prost 8
- Kimi Räikkönen 9
- Fernando Alonso 14
- Kevin Magnussen 20
- Jenson Button 22
- Lewis Hamilton 22
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Stoffel Vandoorne 47
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- Oscar Piastri 81
- 304,553 comments on McLaren
- 162 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about McLaren
Replies (0)
Login to reply