Grosjean: “A Feeling of Nausea”

After a long break, F1 is back this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps. A break that seemed particularly long for the fans but wasn’t necessarily a complete rest for the drivers, even though it was an opportunity to recharge their batteries.

I’m in shape, there have been 2 weeks of vacation and 2 of work. It feels good, it helps recharge the batteries and attack the second part of the season motivated and with ants in my legs before getting back in the car, which is generally a good sign. I’m eager to get going with the second part of the championship with some pretty magnificent tracks. Here we are at Spa-Francorchamps, then we’ll go to Monza, these are beautiful places, explains Romain Grosjean in the Spa paddock.

A comeback that could be favorable for Lotus, which should use its double DRS system in a race for the first time. Enough to compete for the win?

There are some developments on the car, so that’s a good thing. Now we know what we are bringing, but we don’t know what the others will bring; it’s always the same thing. It’s a circuit that should suit us. We’ll see what the weather brings, which is always uncertain here. I believe on Friday, both cars will start with the double DRS, then we’ll see for the second session. Maybe we’ll make a comparison. It’s a track I like; I have good memories here with the GP2 title last year. We know that at medium and high speeds, the Lotus is pretty good, in Budapest in sector two we are the best. The car is very fast, very stable, it’s no secret. When there are hairpins or things like that, it works less well. Here at Spa, apart from the first corner, these are curves that should suit us quite well, analyzes the Lotus driver.

When we talk about Spa-Francorchamps, often referred to as the most beautiful circuit in the world with corners like Raidillon, Blanchimont, and not to forget the double left of Pouhon. And even if the Belgian track is not Grosjean’s favorite, he admits that going through Raidillon at full speed remains a special experience: « It’s true that Eau Rouge remains a particular passage, perhaps less impressive than it used to be since it’s quite easy to go full throttle when it’s dry. Now, when you arrive at the bottom of the hill, you feel crushed in the car, and at the moment you come out, you have the same sensation as on a roller coaster with your stomach going up and down. On the first lap, there’s a slight feeling of nausea, and you wonder how you’re going to make it through the entire race. It’s still pure bliss to pass at 300 km/h. »

From our correspondent at Spa-Francorchamps