Grosjean should not drive for LRGP this season

Romain Grosjean could have had the opportunity to get acquainted with the R31 – which he has already had the chance to drive during straight-line aerodynamic testing, but the Franco-Swiss driver is not expected to drive during the Friday practice sessions in the last four races of the season.

« For the moment, there is no question of him [editor’s note: Romain Grosjean] driving on Friday because I have two drivers in the car who don’t have a lot of experience, so sacrificing a Friday session for them is not necessarily to the team’s advantage, » Eric Boullier confided on the show Dimanche F1.

The French manager of the LRGP team did specify, however, that the decision was not final and that a chance was still imaginable for the 2011 GP2 champion: « It’s in any case an ongoing discussion with the engineers; if we can do it, we’ll do it, but not at the expense of the team ».

Romain Grosjean should also not be able to participate in the young drivers’ tests in Abu Dhabi, as these tests are reserved for “rookies” – beginner drivers who have participated in less than five F1 races in their career. Grosjean participated in seven Formula 1 Grand Prix races in 2009 with Renault F1, making him ineligible for these tests, which could have allowed him to gain valuable experience with KERS and DRS for the upcoming season.

Eric Boullier is also one of the heads of the Gravity structure, which manages Grosjean’s career in particular, and he discussed the future of his protégé, who hopes to have a second chance in Formula 1. Eric Boullier stated that Grosjean might have a seat at Lotus Renault next season, but it mainly depends on Robert Kubica’s condition and the Polish driver’s ability to return to F1 or not.

Regarding this team (Lotus Renault GP), we are waiting for Robert Kubica’s return to see if he can come back. If Robert does not return, then there is a strong possibility that Romain could have a seat in this team (LRGP), explained Eric Boullier.

But the LRGP team is not the only possibility for Romain Grosjean who has other options, even if Boullier did not wish to give names.

There are discussions with two other teams that are interested in Romain, but unfortunately, they are also interested in what Romain could represent in terms of financial interest in France and today it’s not necessarily very interesting to be French at the moment (in F1), added the French manager.