Romain Grosjean left Lotus in 2015 before Renault we’re announced as the team’s successors and his move to newbies Haas was considered a big risk at the time for the Frenchman.
After a fairytale start in Melbourne and Bahrain in which Grosjean finished 6th and 5th respectively, 2016 turned into a difficult yet progressive season for Haas in which the American outfit exceeded expectations in their debut year.
“On a personal level it has been a great year.
I came here and everybody really wanted my feedback and really wanted me in the team. Of course there are ups and downs as well as frustrations because you are a competitor and you want to push everyone harder.
Sometimes you want to dance faster than the music, but that’s what you’ve got to try to do; sometimes you’ll succeed and sometimes you’ll fail. People were critical of my move from Renault at the time, but I made the right call and I’ve made the right decisions.
Some people still look for negatives, but I was always going to stay here next year. I also sometimes get stick for complaining on the radio so often, but it is part of the job. If you are not a perfectionist and you do not want to go to the next step, what is the point in coming?”
– Romain Grosjean
Next season will be a bit harder to call, especially between Haas and Renault. The French works team is expected to take a big step forward in terms of performance but Haas surely have the capability to spring a surprise on everyone again.
Grosjean finished the season 13th in the Driver Standings and scored all the points for Haas. He will have a tougher teammate next season in Kevin Magnussen, who is departing the same team as Grosjean did to pursue the American dream.
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