Interview: Romain Grosjean

2012 was a rather mixed year for Lotus F1 Team driver Romain Grosjean. The Frenchman got his second stint in the sport underway with some strong qualifying results, but on occasion failed to capitalize on his high grid slot.

His season was compromised by some high profile incidents, including the hugely talked about and controversial first corner crash at the Belgian Grand Prix. However despite the one race ban, he soldiered on and showed off a positive and forward thinking attitude that is rare in Formula 1. The season was also brimmed full of positives. The highly competitive season yielded three podium finishes, numerous points finishes and impressive qualifying laps. 

Grosjean stays at the Enstone squad for 2013, partnering Iceman Kimi Raikkonen for another year. I had the chance to talk to him, reminiscing about last season and looking forward to the much anticipated 2013 season.



Jack Leslie: Overall how would you rate your 2012 season at Lotus? 

Romain Grosjean: I would say it has been good. Of course I have learnt and developed over the season, and I am looking ahead to 2013 and using that experience to do the very best I can for the team.
 
JL: So far in your Formula 1 career you have had Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso as team mates, who are both world champions. What have you learnt from racing alongside them? 

RG: You can always learn from people, no matter where from. I knew that I would learn quite a bit from Kimi and it has been good to see how he prepares for races and what his mentality is like. He has been doing this for over ten years, so it is always very valuable to listen and watch, and take in all you can.
 JL:You scored three podium finishes in 2012 and showed strong pace throughout, what would you say has been your highlight of last season? 

RG: It’s difficult to pick out a single thing. All the podiums have been a great achievement for me, particularly the first one, so early in the season. But there are other highlights, from good qualifying laps, to scoring decent points after driving through from the back of the grid. These moments are the highlights.
JL: 2012 was a steep learning curve for you, do you think that has helped you prepare and polish your race craft for 2013? 

RG: My focus is always to look forward; learn from your experiences, absolutely, but you need to keep going and keep trying to better and achieve more.
 JL: What are your aims for 2013, perhaps a win or more podium finishes? 

RG: Of course, the aim is always to win and to gain as many podiums as possible (always hoping of course to be on the top step!). I feel the most important thing is to take all the knowledge I’ve gained from 2012 and put my efforts into consistently achieving points and podium places.
JL: Formula 1 returned to America at the new Circuit of the Americas, now that you have raced on it what are your thoughts on the track? 

RG: It’s a great track and I very much enjoyed racing there. We had a great reception – it was fantastic to see so many American fans on board, and I’m looking forward to going back this year.
 
JL: The sport is expanding to Asia and the Middle East, losing touch with Europe and the historic tracks. Do you prefer racing at these new venues or the historic, classic circuits? 

RG: There’s always room for new challenges – one of my favourite circuits is Suzuka in Japan. It has many elements which are classic in a sense, and you can find them in many of the more historic places.

 JL: With the regulation changes for 2013 being rather minimal, do you expect the order to be similar to last year? 
 
RG: I can see no reason why we cannot improve and build on what we learnt towards the end of 2012. As far as the other teams go, I cannot say until we get to there and start the winter tests. There will be new drivers, and some different drivers in different teams – so I think it will be interesting.
 
JL: Finally did you have a good Christmas break and some time off over the winter? How important is it for the whole team to have that downtime? 

RG: I had a great time, thank you. It’s always a very short period, for us to recharge our batteries, so to speak. The team at Enstone of course, are never sleeping as there is always a new car to prepare. It will be before we know it that the season is underway!

Thanks to Romain for answering my questions and Anna over at Lotus for sorting it out.
Images courtesy of Lotus F1 Team