The working atmosphere here is splendid& according to Romain Grosjean

The arrival of an entirely new team, especially an American one, was met with a lot of skepticism by many observers. Nevertheless, when Romain Grosjean made the choice to leave Enstone in favor of Gene Haas’s team, it was because he hoped it would be a stepping stone for the future of his career.

He discovered a way of functioning completely different from what he knew in the past when he worked for a manufacturer: « We have a fairly extraordinary approach with Gene. This American approach where we’re cool, we’re relaxed, we can say anything but, at the same time, we expect results, and for everyone to give the best of themselves. Here, I have a working environment that is splendid and that I didn’t necessarily have before. »

After eight races, it is clear that the method is working since the Frenchman has scored 22 points, while his former team, Renault, has to settle for the six points Kevin Magnussen gathered in Russia. It’s even better than he expected: « *I thought I might be able to score one or two points depending on the circumstances, and we managed to score 22 in the first four races.* »

Romain Grosjean thus believes he could have scored points in the last two races if bad luck had not intervened: « We’ve put everything together to climb back up and I think we are not far off. We’ve had a bit of bad luck in the last two races but, overall, the learning curve is quite impressive. »

The current objective is to be able to catch up to McLaren in the championship, as the Woking team now has a two-point lead over Haas. The season is entering a crucial phase, with these six races in eight weeks, which will be decisive: « The further we go, the more developments will slow down since everyone will turn their attention to 2017, with the major regulation change. I believe we have improvements coming at Silverstone, and those might be the last of the year. »

If this hectic pace is rather well-regarded by the driver since driving is what motivates all drivers, it’s harder for Romain Grosjean who has become a family man. But he welcomes with satisfaction that the races take place in Europe, which allows him to return home between each race: « It’s nice to be able to come back for a day and a half or two. It allows me to recharge the batteries before heading out again and seeing colleagues. So if the momentum is good, it can be extremely fruitful. »

If it was mentioned in the past that the French driver might participate in a Nascar race on behalf of his current employer, it seems more likely for the 2017 season than the current one, although trips as a spectator should take place at the end of the season: « I think it will be next year. Last weekend, I watched the Sonoma race and I really wanted to go! In any case, I would go on a road course because I don’t know anything about ovals, it’s too risky and there are too many techniques to know. If I go, it’s not to finish last. »

But this race would only be a one-off since the driver sees his future elsewhere. Of course, he still aims for a world championship title in F1 but also a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: « I did it in 2010 and I loved this race. It’s an extraordinary race. It’s a race I want to experience again. »

From our special correspondent in Spielberg

With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr