Luca Di Grassi wants to return in 2012

When Virgin Racing formalized the appointment of Jérôme d’Ambrosio in place of Luca di Grassi last December, John Booth, the team’s director, did not forget to thank the Brazilian for his services, wishing him success in the rest of his career, which he had no doubt would be exciting.

Unfortunately, Di Grassi was unable to find a new seat in Formula One, neither as a main driver nor as a third driver. Mentioned as a potential replacement for Robert Kubica after his accident last February, the Brazilian saw the position go to Nick Heidfeld but consequently was able to succeed the German driver at Pirelli in the role of test driver.

All his predecessors – with the exception of Grosjean, who is still well on his way to finding a place on the grid in 2012 – have benefited from this stint with the Italian manufacturer to bounce back in Formula One, whether as a main driver, like Nick Heidfeld, or as a reserve driver, like Pedro de la Rosa. Luca di Grassi naturally intends to take advantage of this opportunity to secure a position in a team by 2012 and told our correspondent on site that his entourage was working towards this goal while keeping Pirelli as an alternative.

Indeed, it’s better to be at the doors of F1 than not to be there at all. However, unlike Nick Heidfeld who, at the end of last season, was highly sought after by teams due to his experience with Pirelli tires that nobody knew, Luca di Grassi currently finds himself in a completely different context. Teams now indeed know Pirelli tires well, which are expected to change only very slightly for the next season. The last obstacle for the Brazilian driver is the lack of available seats. The 2012 lineup should closely resemble that of 2011, and the announcement of Jarno Trulli’s contract extension further reduces the number of available seats just as the end of the Italian’s career was being predicted.

The Brazilian driver could therefore commit to a long-term relationship with Pirelli. Asked by our correspondent in Monza about his first impressions with the Italian tires, which he discovered later than his fellow drivers, Luca di Grassi admits that it is difficult to make comparisons with the Bridgestones he used last season and that it mainly depended on the compound used. The Brazilian explains that the Pirelli tires generate more understeer than their predecessors, which makes things a bit more fun in terms of driving. So the question remains: does he personally prefer the Italian tires over the Japanese ones? The answer is obvious: Pirelli of course! I have to say that.