Grosjean: « We should have escape routes on the straight. »
Romain Grosjean arrived in Barcelona a week and a half after his terrible disappointment at the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The support he received, both at the factory and at home, helped him overcome this ordeal.
Almost two weeks later, he prefers to laugh about it: « You can go ahead, I’ve been getting teased for a week! » But having made a mistake under the safety car regime is clearly a challenge in Romain Grosjean’s career, who has already made mistakes where they weren’t expected. We can remember the installation lap during the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix, where he ended up in the barriers under a deluge. In the Barcelona paddock, he laughs: « In general, straight lines are my problem! » He even mentioned, with a big smile, that escape roads should be put on straightaways so he wouldn’t have these kinds of problems anymore.
He does not, however, dodge questions on the subject and willingly acknowledges his mistake: « It’s certainly one of the worst mistakes to make, but fortunately, there’s another Grand Prix coming up. You can recover from everything. At the moment, it’s really tough and it stings. But in the end, it’s just a sport, and I’m lucky to have a family waiting for me at home who was very happy to see me again. It changes your mindset. »
The fact that he supported his mechanics, who were desperate after their double error during the pit stops in Melbourne, certainly contributed to the support received at the factory. Thus, as early as Monday, he presented himself at headquarters for a simulator session and his engineer started with: « So, do you want us to practice warming the tires? » Obviously, he was not insensitive to the criticism on social media: « It’s part of our job. You find people who attack you and others who support you. It’s like everywhere else. »
For the French driver, who is competing in his seventh full season, the important thing is that his car shows a promising level of performance for the rest of the season: « The main thing is to have a good car. It’s better to have a good car, experience a bit of bad luck and make small mistakes and not get points, than to have a bad car and rely on great circumstances and luck to score points. »
On the other hand, one of the issues identified by the driver and Haas is that the regulatory change planned for next year, where the front wings will be simplified to facilitate overtaking. Commendable for the on-track spectacle, this requires a complete overhaul of the car’s aerodynamics, which necessarily impacts this season’s development program: « It’s not really ideal for us as a small team. We were planning to develop this car until the end and have a 2019 car in continuity. Now with this regulatory change, it’s not ideal. We’ll need to decide when we’ll focus on the future. »
At present, Haas has decided not to bring major upgrades to Barcelona, unlike other teams. But they are reassured by the fact that there is rarely a magic formula that unlocks everything in a race: « It’s like the start of the season. There are those who say they will arrive in Melbourne with an entirely new car. If that were the case, what’s the point of going to winter testing? »
He is confident about the future and hopes to regain a bit of luck that has eluded him since the start of the season.
From our special correspondent in Barcelona.
