Grosjean picks up gearbox penalty for Azerbaijan GP
Romain Grosjean has landed a grid penalty for a gearbox change after his broke during qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Haas driver suffered a gearbox hydraulics issue trying to reverse on to the track after locking up under braking for Turn 3 on his first run in Q1 which meant he was forced out of qualifying without having set a time.
Romain Grosjean has landed a grid penalty for a gearbox change after his broke during qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Haas driver suffered a gearbox hydraulics issue trying to reverse on to the track after locking up under braking for Turn 3 on his first run in Q1 which meant he was forced out of qualifying without having set a time.
The French driver has picked up a five-place grid penalty for the unscheduled gearbox change but having been allowed to start from P20 after failing to set a time in qualifying he will still start last in 20th place.
“I was reversing and suddenly we lost hydraulic pressure,” Grosjean confirmed after qualifying. “But from the two corners I completed in qualifying I am pretty hopeful for the race.
“I may have got a tailwind but as soon as I hit the brakes I locked the front so I didn’t want to take any risks so I went straight on to stop and reverse back on to the track. It didn’t go quite to plan. We need to look at it with the Ferrari guys as it didn’t go to expectations.
“I shouldn’t have gone straight but it happens so it is bad luck that four races in a row we’ve been unlucky.”
