Grosjean: It’s unacceptable to be last!
After an already complicated Friday, qualifying proved very disappointing for Haas. Romain Grosjean set the session's worst time, while Esteban Gutierrez had to make do with 17th place on the grid.
Romain Grosjean is not a man to hide his opinions. The Frenchman did not hesitate to show his full dissatisfaction after a session that saw him finish 21st and last among the drivers who were able to participate in the session: « I really don’t know what’s going on. The car was good in FP1 and was decent during the first stint this morning in FP3, but then it collapsed. We really need to analyze what’s happening because something is wrong. It is unacceptable for us to be last on the grid. »
The former Lotus driver is thus very perplexed by the behavior of his single-seater, which is completely uncontrollable: The top speed is good, but there is no grip and no balance. You can manage with little grip if the car is balanced. But with both combined, you can’t do anything. One corner you’ll understeer, and the other you’ll oversteer.
During his last attempt, he was even hindered by his own teammate, Esteban Gutierrez, who was struggling and spun out. The Mexican explained that he was simply trying to push beyond the limits of his car: “I was driving beyond the limit trying to put everything together for the team and the fans. They have been incredible. I had to try to be aggressive because I knew the lap at the beginning of the stint probably wouldn’t be enough. Sometimes, you make it and sometimes you don’t, but at least I gave my maximum.”
In these conditions, it seems difficult to repeat the Austin performance, where he started 17th on the grid and finished with the point for 10th place.
