The FFSA congratulates Romain Grosjean on his move to F1

This Sunday in Valencia, Spain, Romain Grosjean will become the first driver from the FFSA Circuit French Team to line up on a Formula 1 World Championship starting grid.

At 23, Romain Grosjean earned the coveted opportunity by being promoted to the race driver position for the Renault F1 team for the second half of the 2009 Formula One World Championship, replacing Nelson Piquet. Romain will have to close the chapter on his presence in the GP2 championship and will team up with the most successful driver currently active, the double world champion, Fernando Alonso.

Grosjean, who was one of the drivers for the French FFSA Circuits Team since the 2007 promotion and a member of the prestigious Renault Driver Development program since his title in Formula Renault 2.0, has enriched his record with two international titles in the past two years: a crowning in the F3 Euro Series – accompanied by an admission as Renault F1 reserve driver – as well as a promotion to the rank of major in the GP2 Asia squad during his first campaign in 2008 with ART Grand Prix. With Barwa Addax, in 2009 he doubled his victory count in the GP2 Europe championship, bringing his total to four wins to date.

« We have known Romain for a long time because he is one of the young French drivers who joined the FFSA in 2007. He is a boy we have seen develop, especially physically, throughout the training camps set up by the Equipe de France Circuit and by Renault, » explains Jean Alesi, captain of the Equipe de France FFSA Circuit and former Grand Prix winner. « The result is a very sharp Romain at present. In terms of results, there has also been steady and convincing progress with a title in the F3 Euro Series in 2007 and another the following year in GP2 Asia for his first appearance in the F1 feeder series. Romain is the first representative of the Equipe de France FFSA Circuit to take the final step since Alexandre Prémat did very well with Spyker in 2006, but his scope of action was in free practice and not in the race. »

Jean Alesi is optimistic about seeing Romain climb the ranks within the top category of circuit motor racing. The competition couldn’t be tougher with a double world champion as a teammate. Some fear hasty comparisons, but the captain of the French Team has a sharper perception of the events… On the contrary, making his debut with the strongest driver on the grid as a teammate, the most rated, is a chance! It’s a bit like he’s alone in the sense that no one expects him to challenge Alonso. If that were the case in one session or another, it would be considered a genuine exploit. On the contrary, sometimes a driver makes his debut with a teammate considered average who is actually excellent but never had the equipment to prove it. In that case, if the first one doesn’t easily beat the second, the criticism quickly pours in!

And if Romain still needs to progress and learn his Formula 1 driving profession, Jean believes that his young compatriot only suffers from an excess of enthusiasm, which is often a weapon in motorsport. Romain has sometimes erred on the side of optimism, but this trait should be viewed as the drawback of his quality. He is a fighter, and he has already learned how to channel his energy when necessary, and with experience, he will know how to better harness this enthusiasm.

Grosjean is fully aware of the magnitude of the task that awaits him in Valencia as he proudly represents his national team. But he also knows that he can capitalize on the extensive preparations carried out within Renault and the FFSA. “Yes, I spent studious holidays!” smiles Romain, with his racing driver diploma in hand. “It’s true that the road ahead is long, but I was fortunate to be an RDD driver and to join the FFSA. Having such strong support has provided me with invaluable help, especially morally. With the FFSA, I participated in training camps in Dubai, I’ve always been showered with advice from Jean Alesi, and I must say that the concept put in place by the FFSA is unique in Europe; it’s a blessing for young drivers. In return, I am extremely proud to have proudly represented its colors, to be the representative of a federation and a country, and to have achieved two titles with the FFSA label.”

The French Federation of Automobile Sport is delighted with the appointment of Romain Grosjean as a driver for the Renault F1 team alongside the double world champion, Fernando Alonso. I extend my warmest congratulations to Renault F1 and Romain for their hard work and wish them the greatest possible success for this second part of the season. It is a great satisfaction to see one of our drivers reach the highest level of motor racing. Since 2007, Romain has been supported by our program to access the high level, and this weekend, we will have the feeling of a job well done. I hope he will be the first of a long line to join the world of F1 because without a doubt, we have in France, especially within our FFSA French Circuit Team, a strong pool of future F1 drivers. » concluded Nicolas Deschaux, President of the French Federation of Automobile Sport.

According to a press release