Grosjean: Renault, Boullier, Räikkönen and his ambitions

Continuation and conclusion of the interview with Romain Grosjean for our colleagues from the Figaro, after a first part dedicated to Michael Schumacher. The Lotus driver discusses the off-season of his team, his ambitions, and his relationships with Eric Boullier and Kimi Räikkönen.

Renault « knows how to bounce back »

During the first tests in Jerez, from which Lotus F1 was absent, R. Grosjean was preparing physically, while still keeping an eye on the events in Spain: « I was in physical training with my physiotherapist. When I saw how things were unfolding, I thought maybe it wasn’t so bad being away from the tracks in training (laughs). »

These tests have indeed been marked by significant difficulties for Renault, with the French engine manufacturer suffering from electrical and integration problems. The Franco-Swiss driver remains confident in the brand with the diamond logo: « Of course, it’s not very reassuring. But if there’s an engine manufacturer in F1 that knows how to bounce back and adapt, it’s Renault. I trust them to make their engine block reliable. Updates are already coming for the Bahrain tests. » The Bahrain tests will take place from Wednesday, February 19 to Saturday, February 22, and then from Thursday, February 27 to Sunday, March 2, and can be followed live and in full on Motors Inside.

« Become world champion »

He also shows his impatience to get into the cockpit of the famous E22, which he has not yet driven, unlike Pastor Maldonado who participated in the test runs on February 7 and 8: « I have done some [simulator] sessions, but I can’t wait to discover the car on the track. It is only after driving the Lotus that I will be able to say if the simulator has put us, or not, in the right direction. »

Even though the performances of Lotus and its competitors are, to this day, almost unknown, Romain Grosjean remains just as ambitious: “We all start from the same starting point, and we are all competitors. I want to become world champion. Will I have the car, or not? We will know in Melbourne when we start the season. But if everything is in place, why not aim for the championship title?”

« Everything is in place » on the Lotus side

On the question of hierarchy, the Geneva native believes that the beginnings may be tricky, but that the season will quickly take on a “normal” appearance: « Yes, there can be surprises at the start of the championship. Some teams will make an impact by managing fuel consumption better or being more reliable than others. But by the end of the year, the big teams will be back at the front. In any case, everything is dictated by the budget. »

A hierarchy that Lotus managed to disrupt over the past two seasons, thanks to high-performing cars and despite a limited budget. Grosjean reflected, in this regard, on the eventful off-season for the Enstone team and the financial risks for the season: « I’m here, so everything is fine (laughs)! It’s true that we’ve experienced tough times recently in this area, but that didn’t stop us from securing podiums last year. We were even the only ones able to stand up to Red Bull. The budget is complete, everything is in place. »

Everything is in place, not exactly because since the departure of Eric Boullier, Lotus has still not appointed a director: « His departure was a shock for everyone, but I can understand that he chose this great opportunity. I just hope that we will beat him in a few weeks. Some things had to be changed. I am linked to a company (Gravity, which manages the driver, editor’s note) that belongs to Gérard Lopez, and we had to find a new manager to take care of me. Now, we need to quickly find a team principal who will know how to lead the team. » Olivier Quesnel seems to be in the lead for this position.

« Kimi is as he is »

When asked, finally, about his relationship with his teammate for two seasons, Kimi Räikkönen, at Ferrari, Romain Grosjean doesn’t mince words: « (Laughs) In two years, I had the right to two sentences! I would have been worried if Sébastien had said more… Kimi is as he is. A very good, fast, consistent driver. But, as a teammate, I’ve had more enriching experiences on a human level… »