Romain Grosjean: “On Sundays we set off with the caravan and a full tank of gas”
Before hitting the track today for the first free practice sessions of the French Grand Prix, Romain Grosjean shared his thoughts with Motors Inside about his feelings behind the wheel of current Formula 1 cars and the 150 races he has already under his belt.
Romain Grosjean will participate in his 151st Grand Prix this weekend at the Circuit Paul Ricard. Even though he’s not one to look back, he is aware of the luck he has had to prove his talent throughout all these races: « I rarely look back at what I’ve done. For now, I’m looking ahead and I’ll think about it the day I stop. It’s true that 150 Grand Prix is huge! I’d like to join Jean Alesi with his 200 starts. Having this longevity in Formula 1, even if you’re not a world champion because you’ve never had the car for it, still proves that you’re not so bad. » confides the Frenchman, who has experienced an up-and-down start to the season.
The performances can be explained by the current difficulty in making Pirelli tires work: The understanding of tires, how to make them work, how to progress, that’s the crux of the matter today, ever since Pirelli arrived. The only adjustments you talk about throughout the weekend are about the tires, and the rest is somewhat secondary. On top of that, we’ve also made mistakes, so we’re not where we should be, confirms the Haas driver.
So, is the pleasure still there for the Frenchman after 150 Grand Prix and driving often in restraint due to the specifics of current single-seaters? Romain Grosjean even recently admitted that it was more difficult to drive a kart than a Formula 1 car. However, he insists on putting this statement into context: « It’s true, but the sentence was a bit taken out of context. There are a lot of kart drivers in 125cc with gearboxes who would be unable to handle a Formula 1 Grand Prix. In terms of concentration, adrenaline, and physical strength, it’s much more difficult to do Formula 1. I was just explaining that I did a kart race with friends and for 20 laps we were flat out the whole time. It’s something I haven’t experienced in Formula 1 since the Bridgestone era. Today, if we do a series of qualifying laps in a row, we’ll come out of the car wrecked. In fact, often, on Friday night, the drivers are in pain everywhere, unlike Sunday. We push much harder on Friday with qualifying simulations and on Sunday we start with a full tank and have to save the tires without being able to attack them, otherwise it’s Holiday On Ice. »
So, the 24 Hours of Le Mans challenge, which already tempts his teammate Kevin Magnussen and his compatriot Pierre Gasly, could be considered for Romain Grosjean? Yes, but not right away: I already did it with Ford in 2010 and I will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans one day. But as long as I am active in Formula 1, it won’t be possible. Unless there’s a crazy opportunity and I’m sure I can win, but with the very busy Formula 1 calendar, for now, it’s impossible.
It was therefore to be expected, Romain Grosjean is only attracted by victory: « The important thing is to participate… sorry Mr. Pierre de Coubertin but I think I hate this phrase. When you’re a competitor, the important thing is to win! »
And to win, you also have to conquer your fear. The Frenchman opened up on the subject in a documentary aired by Canal +, where he notably stated that he would quit automobile racing the day fear takes over: « Fear is positive in sports. You need to be afraid to activate your senses. What we call fear today isn’t that initial sensation you can control, but the word fear, in a generic sense, that I used in the documentary is the fear, the blockage, of never being in the moment, of always holding back, so indeed the day I feel that, I will stop. »
However, the Haas driver is part of a generation that faced death head-on with the terrible accident of Jules Bianchi in 2014. So why continue?
« It’s our job, it’s our passion, it’s what we love…afterwards, getting back in the car at the Russian Grand Prix [editor’s note: a week after Jules Bianchi’s accident in Suzuka on October 5, 2014], it was a bit strange and it was a somewhat odd weekend for everyone. But from the moment we put on our helmet and lower the visor, there’s apprehension but no fear. If there’s fear, you have to stop immediately. » the Frenchman concludes affirmatively.
From our special correspondent in Le Castellet
