Romain Grosjean, Haas, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, 2018

Grosjean “not too unhappy” with his career so far

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In the round-up: Romain Grosjean believes he can have a long career in F1 despite not having made it into a top team yet.

What they say

Grosjean was asked whether he regretted the timing of some of his career moves.

There’s things looking back that could have been different. You could have forced your luck in some places.

I’m not too unhappy with my career so far and I still believe that I can be in Formula 1 for quite a bit of time. I don’t feel old.

Who knows what’s happening in 2021. No one wants to sign a contract beyond the end of 2020. So let’s see what Formula One is becoming like and if there is any change.

Right now I feel like I’m in a good team. Very proud of what we’ve been doing the last two-and-a-half years. I think we’ve got some more business to do together.

Quotes: Dieter Rencken

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Comment of the day

Lawrence Stroll and Dmitry Mazepin’s competing interests in Force India don’t reflect well on F1, says Forrest:

This Force India affair is just highlighting a lot of what is wrong with modern F1.

A well-run team, which has consistently finished in the top five in the constructor’s championship, is forced into bankruptcy/administration because the cost to complete in F1 is so high, and the prize money payouts are so unfair. Then competitor teams are able to block rescue payments.

To top everything off then you have billionaires fighting over Force India, so they’ll have a place for their sons to drive. Drivers who don’t have the talent to be a reserve/test driver, much less a regular F1 drive.

If Liberty’s reforms don’t work, in 10 years’ time the only people who will be able to become F1 drivers are billionaires’ children. That’s not a championship I’ll have any interest in watching.
Forrest Lanier (@Forrest)

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70 comments on “Grosjean “not too unhappy” with his career so far”

  1. Marko getting a big dose of his own there, very gratifying to see

    1. Agree. He’s the one who needlessly broke Kvyat to pieces, still feel sorry for the guy.

    2. What he said… ++

    3. DR decided to leave RBR on April 29 at the end of the Baku GP. It became clear for him, after that race and the crash with VER that, despite being faster than his teammate on that day, RBR would always favor the Dutch boy. It took months for him to find his new team, but the decision had been made.

  2. This harping on about Ricciardo only makes RB look like they have more egg on their faces.

    They lost an adept and popular driver to another team, they need to manage the public fallout and damage the rb brand. I get it. But if they continue with the sly jabs at Danny they may find it backfires.

    1. It backfired, and how. with Renault… but arrogance and self-righteousness never learn…!

      1. So true. I fear for Gasly’s wellbeing – especially against someone so formidable as Verstappen. I don’t get the sense that RB have learnt anything from their driver management mistakes and I just hope we’re not heading for another Kvyat moment.

        1. @shimks I hope so too, but then again, Verstappen wasn’t any more experienced at the time of his RBR-promotion than Gasly is going be at the beginning of next season. Just because Kvyat failed after having received a top drive after only one full season in F1 doesn’t automatically mean others would suffer a similar fate to him (Verstappen is the prime example of the opposite).

    2. Continuous mistake at Red Bull… Makes you wonder.. is it the Company culture?

      1. And what more would you folks have had RBR do to retain DR when they offered him everything to the point where they were convinced he was re-signing with them? By his own words.

        1. Freddo Frogs

          1. Slow clap

          2. Fudge Kobayashi (@)
            23rd August 2018, 9:50

            😂

  3. I’d have thought the Red Bull management guys have been around F1 long enough to know that saying one thing to one person, then doing something else, is fairly normal.

    1. And that Red Bull management are quite adept at contract games themselves.

  4. Red Bull will be poorer for it loosing Danny Ric. An all round great guy and great driver. I kind of laughed reading what Helmut said.

    1. Red Bull seems to agree as they offered Ricciardo ‘all he asked for’.
      @johns23
      But it still feels that Ricciardo will be a bigger loser by not be able to win races the next couple of years. I think he is still too young and talented to opt for money over results.
      At least now all my revival best wishes will be directed towards Renault instead of McLaren.

      1. But it still feels that Ricciardo will be a bigger loser by not be able to win races the next couple of years.

        I think (hope) your wrong, I have a suspicion that Renault did not just give Ricciardo the money he wanted. They may have also brought forward there plan for a WDC/WCC in 20/21. Next yr could be very interesting.
        Also RB are going to hurt I think with two such young drivers. Fast…absolutely but they are both still developing their race craft.

        1. They may have also brought forward there plan for a WDC/WCC in 20/21.

          I’m with your hoping that this could happen.
          But if that were a realistic option/plan then I would have expected Alonso to join them. They seem to have a mutual exclusivity deal on WDC/WCC titles ;)
          @johnrkh

      2. @coldfly what makes you so sure Red Bull is going to win races in the next couple of seasons?

        They are switching to Honda so there are no guarantees just yet.

        1. @paulk, not sure about RBR as race winner in 2019 at all, but reckon they’ve got better chances than Renault.

          1. @coldfly fair enough, but it’s not like he switched from a guaranteed championship contender to a small budget midfield team.

  5. Grosjean is also now claiming he did not join Haas with any hopes of subsequently joining Ferrari…
    I seem to recall that he was reported as having had such hopes… but, even so, he certainly didn’t deny it back then…
    And now is just a smidgeon too late… lol.

    1. He had sufficient reason to join HaasF1 without dreams of a Ferrari drive. At the time he was making that decision, making some sort of connection with Ferrari decision makers was a possibility, though I don’t think he was ever on Ferrari’s short list. Grosjean got to drive for a team that treats him decently and pays him as he was promised. Until Haas came along, Grosjean never had a secure and stable drive, and the offer of a multi-year contract with Haas vs a one-year contract offer from Renault sealed the deal for him. In return, Grosjean has been good for HaasF1 until this year’s spat of bad luck and bonehead moves. I think he is in a similar position to that of Kimi: His seat is secure as long as no one better suddenly comes along. I think he may be out for 2019 after Ricciardo and Alonso shook up the driver market, but who knows?

      1. Thanks BR for the additional information, but it doesn’t reply to my point: that he is now declaring he never expected/hoped for a Ferrari drive whereas at the time, when all the media were proclaiming this possibility, he went along with it… Just struck me as embarrassing that he now bothers to deny it.

        1. Expecting and Hoping are 2 very different things.

          Grosjean was looking for a stable drive in a stable team. He got his wishes, any driver in a midfield team Hopes for a Ferrari contract. However I highly doubt this was his angle.

          1. Hi Kelvin… you’re also missing my point: that the media were all proclaiming that accepting a drive with Haas would put RG in line (even first in line) for a Ferrari drive, which he didn’t deny…
            This is not my ‘opinion’, so countering with your ‘highly doubt’ it, is not a valid point of debate…
            You can’t counter a ‘fact’ with a ‘belief’…
            Sorry if you find this pedantic.

  6. Interesting about the Monza ticket sales. I was going to go to the Portland IndyCar race as I used to attend the CART races there (and raced FF there as well), but there were no good tickets available. Good for IndyCar that they are adding sold out races. The CART/Indy split destroyed open wheel racing here in the USA, so glad things are going better. F1 needs to promote their product here WAY better; in America F1 doesn’t exist as far as coverage goes.

  7. I hope Nurburgring will be the 2019 host – I get it’s had financial problems but it wouldn’t hurt to come back there. Then hopefully eventually it will replace Hockenheim one day

    1. @boroboy18 I doubt it’s going to come back anytime soon. I also still have my doubts about Hockenheim remaining in F1 for next season despite the Reuters-article above.

      1. Well the article basically says they’re (still) in talks. The headline is somewhat misleading

        1. @strontium Yes, the headline indeed is somewhat misleading.

  8. Comment of the day is spot on.

    1. Was going to post the exact same thing. Absolutely nailed it. Carey needs to read that out at the next meeting when Ferrari et al kick off about losing some of their prize money share.

      1. Why is it spot on? It assumes FI’s issues are about the cost of F1 and about prize money, and Liberty has already expressed great interest in addressing these issues as contracts run out and as they get more influence as they gradually move away from the BE era. But what about Mallya’s issues that go back to at least 2012? Do they have nothing to do with FI’s situation?

        How about we applaud Liberty for talking reform, rather than projecting a mess Mallya started onto Liberty, and then warning them that if in 10 years said reforms don’t work they’ll lose a viewer. As if Liberty needs to read this cotd to proceed. 🤦‍♂️

        1. @robbied90

          It assumes FI’s issues are about the cost of F1 and about prize money

          If you don’t think those issues are the major reason for FI’s downfall, and Manor, HRT and Marussia before it, and Williams struggles and Saubers needing to be bought out by Alfa(Ferrari) then you’re just not paying attention. It’s a more than safe assumption.

          Sure Mallya’s legal issues prevented him from selling the team to Stroll while keeping “control” of the team, the costs of F1 and prize money distributions got him to the point of needing to sell the team in the first place… Despite being the best team of the rest 2 years running.

          I’ll applaud Liberty’s reform when it’s in writing, signed by all the teams, and in the headlines. Not applauding wishes and plans.

          1. @skipgamer I’m well aware of the cost issues of F1. Cotd implies that is ‘the’ reason for FI’s issues. I suggest it is likely more complicated than that given Mallya’s shady history. Sounds like he is far worse at money management than BE’s F1 has been. Liberty will start to rectify that as soon as they legally can. And that’s the point too. You want things in writing signed by the teams, and in the headlines, and yet you don’t seem to want to wait for the existing contracts under BE to run out. I would suggest Liberty is moving as fast as they legally can, but that they also do not want to make knee-jerk decisions, and they want everyone properly consulted and on the same page ahead of the major changes coming. So for now it is ‘wishes and plans’ because they are trying to do F1 right. They’ve barely been able to start their plans in earnest, and certainly can’t really do a ton before 2021, and yet they’re already being criticized, and warned etc etc. Obviously for some people they will never get it right if they can’t even get off the ground without being run into it.

  9. Regarding that Monza article. I know I sound like a broken record, but I really didn’t like my visit there to the point of never wanting to go there again. Overcrowded trains, long waiting lines all over the place (trains, toilets, beer), very poor directions at and around the track, etc. All that and the race itself is way too short to compensate for the rest. And yes, I know that if you go as a group and get to camp next to the track you’ll have fun. But that’s true about any camping with friends situation. All I’m saying is that for ME personally, the venue does not offer nearly enough value for the price and effort it takes to be there.

    1. Try Paul riccard instead, its slightly better organized than Monza.

    2. Monza was my first F1 race so the excitement was palpable however, if you take that out the rest of my experience of the circuit was dire. We have been twice since but the facilities are so poor never again. The toilets for a female particularly, were disgusting. Travelling in the last time with a couple who were hardened festival goers and blasé about knowing what to expect, when we met up after the first day said they hadn’t encountered anything as bad. Also as it is in a park we were watching people come through parts of the fence and once in the GA area is so huge weren’t likely to get asked for tickets so getting in for free.

      Sadly Monza hasn’t invested in the facilities at the circuit. Free buses from Monza station and free trains from Milan station are rammed full and scary after the race has finished and are just something to gloss up the lack of investment at the circuit.

    3. @zimkazimka ”Overcrowded trains, long waiting lines all over the place (trains, toilets, beer), very poor directions at and around the track, etc.”
      – I didn’t find those things to be the case when I went there back in 2010 to attend that season’s race.

      1. Thomas Bennett (@felipemassadobrasil)
        23rd August 2018, 12:11

        Silverstone circa 2003 2.0. Silverstone redeveloped the track and thus saved itself from Donington. Now Monza will have to at least try and save itself from Imola( although tbh Imola isn’t much better either)

  10. Completely agree with the COTD. I’ve felt the exact same way ever since this Force India administration fiasco started.

  11. COTD is quality. And it is funny that in the same article Lance Stroll admits to not liking Spa because it never ‘clicks’. If Spa, the best track on earth, doesn’t click for you, it really is you that’s at fault.

    1. I bet he loves to drive in Baku

  12. RB obviously very bitter about Ricciardo moving on and are no doubt worried about next yr. Marko, Horner and co should stop whinging to the press and just get on with the job at hand.

    1. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
      22nd August 2018, 10:11

      They sure seem quite irritable about losing out to Cyril.
      What goes around comes around.

      1. Ridiculous. It is unlikely Horner and Marko called a press conference to whine about DR. They were asked in an interview, as happens all the time and as was inevitable given the surprise news by DR. And this site even called it shocking. So not that I agree that they are sounding bitter, but what else are they to say when they offered DR everything he wanted and he still decided he did not want to be at RBR anymore. At first blush the team said they respected his decision and wished him the best. Now we need to hear from DR.

        And I’m quite sure that RBR’s principals can give their take on the situation when asked, and get on with the job at hand at the same time. After all, they’ve already announced DR’s replacement. They’ve already decided on Honda. Not sure how much more ‘getting on with the job at hand’ they can get.

  13. There’s something quite inane about Grosjean – can’t quite put my finger on it. He just seems to anodyne to be an F1 driver somehow. He also doesn’t seem that smart.

    Hell – I just will never forgive him for Spa 2012.

  14. Interesting story from Dr. Marko there.
    – Regarding the Reuters-article: I still have my doubts about Hockenheim remaining in F1 for next season despite the content of that article.
    – I agree with the COTD although I’d still keep watching even if the thing suggested in the last paragraph were to happen (which I highly doubt).
    – The Belgian GP preview quotes of the Williams-drivers, though.

  15. I’m not sure I fully understand why Marko is acting aggrieved in the ESPN article, but then Red Bull have always liked to cause conflict and air dirty launcry in public to their benefit.

    I wonder if there is a concern from RB that Renault will be a big challenger for them in the next year or two and are looking at ways to give them a better PR standpoint?

    Then again Marko has always been very blinkered with regards to his comments, RB never do wrong or have trouble, it is always the competitors, less favoured driver, PU manufacturer at fault.

  16. I have to disagree with all the bitterness here toward Marko and with cotd too.

    From what I recall, most people around here figured DR would be moving on to Mercedes or Ferrari, many even making it sound like he had his choice. So most seemed fine with DR leaving RBR. Then as those doors appeared to close, if they were even open to begin with, it started to appear like his only and best option would be to stay at RBR, with even the likes of Max saying he was sure DR would be staying. And that was after the RBR/Honda news. By all accounts RBR offered DR everything he wanted. By all accounts, with even this site calling the DR to Renault news shocking, most, including the principals at RBR were indeed shocked. All that said, I don’t see how anyone can look at this as RBR losing DR. They did all they could. This was DR’s decision. This was even his change of mind after only days earlier telling the team he would re-sign with them. So somehow we’ve gone from DR leaving for Ferrari or Mercedes, to RBR losing DR like everything is the fault of RBR/Marko. Very strange selective thinking going on here.

    Regarding cotd, I find it strange to blame F1 for FI’s situation when Mallya has been in hot water for several years now regarding money laundering and defaulting on payments regarding his airline etc etc, with suggestions he has been paying to play in F1 with laundered money. To bemoan a couple of billionaires with racing sons for wresting a team run by an alleged criminal billionaire is laughable to me. As is blaming or warning Liberty, or blaming the high costs of F1, when it was years under BE that brought F1 to where it is, and all Liberty is trying to do is correct things and make them better. Nothing Liberty has said would indicate anything near like that F1 will turn into an entity for billionaires to buy teams for their sons. Just the opposite really. But hey, it makes for a convenient thing to pick at from one’s armchair I suppose, by those who perhaps could write for soap operas or tabloid magazines.

    1. @robbie – I tend to disagree with the bitterness towards Dr Marko “Drunk Uncle” Helmut. I think he deserves it completely. While he screams hard done by from Daniel lets not forget this is the same man who promised Jean-Eric Vergne the 2014 Red Bull drive in 2013, that he gave to Dan. Complete hypocritic. Then treated Daniil Kvyat so poorly, not to mention so many others under the Red Bull banner. He may also need to google what a valid contract is.

      Romains comments are fair, after a pretty solid stint at Lotus next to Kimi in 2013 he must have thought bigger things were to come. The move to Haas was certainly to align him to Ferrari but it hasn’t worked. I hope he does stay but not too sure he will.

      1. @garns You lost me at ‘screams.’ Sounds more like they just find it surprising and strange given that DR had said he was going to sign and only two days later decided on Renault. Marko has only been diplomatic. Where’s the screaming? Where is he hard done by?

        Perhaps his relationships with drivers haven’t been perfect. I don’t know the fine details of what happened with JEV. Or Kvyat. Do you? But it sounds like he has given more opportunities than he has taken away. They at least have programs in place for nurturing young drivers.

        1. @robbie
          Daniel was only going to keep options open given the next two they wont win a title at RBR.
          I didn’t lose you at ‘screams’, you kept reading :)
          He just carries on a little too much.

          ” don’t know the fine details of what happened with JEV. Or Kvyat. Do you?”
          No of course I don’t mate- that seemed like a rhetoric question lol. My point is Marko gives promises to young drivers he has no intention to actually do- that’s deceitful. That’s what he does.

          “Marko has only been diplomatic”

          No sorry, I cant get this one. Not with Dan but everybody, he doesn’t know the word.

          Marko has been a total hindrance to Reb Bull, never a benefit ever.

    2. @robbie

      Please, you’re reading so much into “If Liberty’s reforms don’t work” – that’s the only statement against Liberty, and even then it’s a conditional. You turned it into bemoaning, complaining, warning, picking at… If anyone has a taste of tabloid or soap opera in their writing it’s you.

      1. @garns Yes Marko always does that. It is what he does. Always makes promises to young drivers and then changes his mind. Always. Never ever been a benefit to RBR. Just a total hindrance.

        Yeah that sounds reasonable and level headed…not tabloidy at all.

        @skipgamer Note that the bemoaning word was used about billionaires, I haven’t used the word complaining, and only the words ‘warning’ and ‘picking at’ refer to Liberty, so you are indeed being ‘tabloidy’ by putting words in my mouth.

        1. @robbie
          Yeah ok, point taken mate. I guess seeing how he treated Webber and now Daniel I immediately take the negative when he speaks, sometimes correctly, others maybe not.

    3. Well @robbie, RB management is not liked by some (myself included) because of the way they treat drivers.

      In 2009, they fired Bourdais via text. Not a phone call, not an interview (as is the case in most companies).

      At the end of 2011, Alguersuari claimed he had offers from others F1 teams. According to him, Marko assured him that RB wanted to keep him. It’s easy to understand why staying in the RB family was attracting: good performance at TR and a championship winning car available once Webber or Vettel leaves the sister team.

      Then, TR announced Ricciardo and Vergne late in 2011, meaning it was too late to find another drive. Alguersuari as specifically stated that he didn’t mind being replaced, he just wanted to be noticed before the end of the year to be able to jump elsewhere.

      Reading that Marko was played the very same trick he played on others is rather fun. But no bitterness here.

    4. @robbie

      From what I recall, most people around here figured DR would be moving on to Mercedes or Ferrari, many even making it sound like he had his choice.

      Not quite correct plesase see a post of mine from the 29/06/10.

      I have the same thoughts about Ricciardo but he is in the position to make the decision better than most. Lets wait and see. I can’t see the Honda powered RB taking up the challenge against Ferrari/Merc any more than the Renault RB combo can at the moment. Actually after Merc and Ferrari I would have thought Renault would have been a chance. If he does go with RB it may only be a 12 month contract.

      Then from @phil-f1-21 (italics) also on the 29/06/18 then my reply.

      If Daniel really does want to leave RBR I think his next best bet is probably Renault. I don’t think they are willing to pay his asking price though.

      Compromise would be the answer here. I think Ricciardo moving to Renault would be the better choice as I can’t see the Honda powered RB being any faster than the current Renault powered car. I think the factory Renault will have the better engine but the RB will have the better chassis next year. so 6 of one and 1/2 dozen other the other. In the longer term Renault is a factory team.

      There are others I posted as well, not just on this site.
      Renault was in the mix for longer than some people think. As for RB offering Ricciardo “everything” he wanted? Ummmmm No! Obviously they didn’t, more likely Marko/Horner are telling porkies to try and save face :))

      1. Please forgive my incorrect date at the beginning of the post, it should say 29/06/18.
        An edit or preview function would be nice.

        1. @johnrkh I too suggested Renault as a possibility for DR several months ago. Just not sure how to reference my comments without going through all of them to try to nail down when it was. Is there an easier way to search? It was earlier in the season but we often talked about the subject so I can’t quite recall the month or the topic heading. I certainly never bought what some were trying to sell practically making it sound like he had his pick between Ferrari and Mercedes. I said ‘most’ because I know I read a few others, and likely you and Phil being amongst them, who were saying the same. I just felt that if he didn’t want to be in Max, LH, or SV’s shadow then Renault might be a place for him to make that ‘his’ team.

  17. In my opinion, the absolutely worst thing Grosjean could have stated. If he doesn’t see that there is huge room for self-improvement, then what hope can his team have for him.

    1. Thomas Bennett (@felipemassadobrasil)
      23rd August 2018, 12:14

      Looking back though I can see his point considering that for 3 years it looked likely he would never be in F1 again. So his career could have been much worse.

  18. I would like to echo some of the comments on the race at Monza.

    I went in 2016 and it was first race outside of the UK. I chose Monza partly because I have a friend who lives there but they are not into F1. I also wanted to experience the history and atmosphere of the place.

    On the whole I enjoyed it and I had a pretty good seat on the first chicane. The race was fairly good but the atmosphere in the stand was great. There were queues for drinks and food and toilets but they were fairly short and didn’t bother me too much.

    The downside was getting to the circuit which took ages and was really poorly organised. The train was OK but the buses were rammed and I had to wait ages for them both days. The signage at the circuit was barely adequate and I thought the fan area was quite average and a bit disappointing.

    The place felt generally uncared for and a little run down. So it was an OK experience but could have been much better with better organisation and more thought for the fans. Just more resources really .

    I can very well see why fans might be disappointed in view of the prices.

  19. I’ll be just waiting next season to watch Gasly lapping Ric.

    1. And then Gasly’s engine will blow…

      If Ricciardo can dominate the Hulkenberg and the mid-field, even if he does get lapped by Gasly, it’ll increase his worth more than getting beaten by Max for another year…

      1. Hopefully his own engine doesn’t blow up as he gets lapped.

        1. Someone wishing Renault and Ricciardo to do bad can’t be a good person lol

          We need as much people as possible fighting for the best results, not two sided (and sometimes three) contests every single race.

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