Are you forgetting RG is still learning and at the end of the day, he has still beaten his world champion team mate a few times in quali and races.
I think he has been very impressive this season compared to last year.
What does your point appear to be? He beat Kimi last race because Kimi was screwed by bad strategy by a stupid team, and not the first time he's lost to Grosjean for that reason just this year.
Rosberg has beaten Hamilton, Massa has beaten Alonso, Webber has beaten Vettel. It's NORMAL for one team mate to win a few times over the other. This is what I find strange about the people using that as a reason Grosjean is good, at every single team, team mates often have better races because that is what happens. If Kimi's car fails and Grosjeans doesn't, shouldn't he beat him?
Grosjean beat kimi 10 to 9 in qualifying last year, this year Kimi is winning by a few, Grosjean is qualifying worse. Grosjean has finished about 38 more races this year than last year, and has 10 or so more points? That is poor, not good. He's hitting less people, and been less fast, gotten less points per finish, I don't think he's been good at all.
Ultimately considering how good the car has been this and last year, that he was behind so many drivers is very poor. Massa screws up half the races, drops points to help Alonso and basically had a poor year and has the same number of points as Grosjean. I think overall the Lotus has been better than the Ferrari throughout the year, yet Grosjean can't outscore Massa a guy who barely tried for 3/4's of this season?
I think Grosjean has showed what he's capable of, genuine speed and zero control, not great speed and poor points scoring in the second best race pace car on the grid, being utterly spanked by his team mate.
Compare Vettel/Webber, Alonso/Massa, similar differences to Kimi/Grosjean... would anyone dare to say Webber or Massa had good years, both have been poor, very poor in the majority of races.
Scoring half what your team mate has is pathetic. Last year Grosjean had the excuse that he DNF'd half the races, without the DNF's he's 10 points better off, that is pathetic.
Personally I think Maldonado is very similar, when he's "fast" he's dangerous. Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso, Kimi, they can be fast and in perfect control.
Hamilton/Alonso have fought side by side in tight corners for position at top speed and basically never hit each other, Grosjean/Maldonado/Massa do that with almost anyone and there is usually contact. High speed is easy, you just forget to brake and smash into the guy in front, high speed and still in almost perfect control is why there are only 4 top drivers on the grid currently and what sets them apart, and what lets Kimi show that pace in every race without hitting everyone and getting double the points tally as a result.
I don't genuinely think Maldonado can be brilliant in the Lotus, but I already know Grosjean isn't good enough, I assume Maldonado isn't but I don't KNOW he isn't, some drivers can suddenly be great in a great car. I don't think it's likely but I prefer giving someone new a chance than someone once again getting a driver he both has shown he doesn't deserve and won't improve from. I'd prefer someone else to Maldonado as well, even Di Resta, who has scored very similarly to Hulk by the way and shown some real pace and some race craft but has had unusually bad luck. His team HAVE screwed him repeatedly while only a couple of the big failures/dnf's/qualifying retardness was down to him. I'd take a lot of guys ahead of Maldonado, but I'd take Maldonado ahead of Grosjean.
The only think Grosjean has "learned" from last year is that if he goes slower he'll finish more races.... but that also means he's getting less points per race, and as such, isn't actually doing any better outside of costing Lotus a hell of a lot less in repairs.
excellent stuff, hope this does give nico H a drive
