Romain Grosjean ready for “fresh start” at Spa

F1 News

27 August 2019 at 10:50
  • Bevan Youl

Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean has said that the return to the sport after the summer break feels like a “fresh start” and is ready to get the team back in the mix with the midfield.

It will have been four weeks since the last race at the Hungarian Grand Prix a time in which drivers and team members take off before returning to duties this week at Spa.
 
Grosjean said to GrandPrix247 as to whether the return feels like a new season: “It maybe doesn’t feel like a new season, but it does feel like a fresh start.
 
“It’s always good because everyone’s well-rested and ready to attack the second part of the season.”
 
Haas are currently ninth in the constructors championship but only 17 points behind fifth placed Toro Rosso and with the team now deciding to run the same upgraded specification cars at Spa the Frenchman admits that “anything can happen”.

“Yes, anything can happen – that’s why you should never give up,” Grosjean added.
 
“We’re going to do our best, obviously, but on paper things are a bit more complicated than they were last year.
 
“But again, with a good summer break and a good understanding of our issues, we could be back on target for a really good points finish, just like Austria last year where we scored 22 points in one event.”
 
Grosjean’s last podium in F1 came in Belgium  back in 2015 when he was driving for Lotus the year before they left the sport and the Frenchman moved to the new entrants Haas in 2016.

“We had a good car in Belgium that year,” he said.

“I had qualified fourth, but started ninth due to a gearbox penalty. We had a good strategy and good timing with a safety car, too.

“I managed to overtake a few cars and get on the podium. Honestly, it was one of those weekends where everything just goes to plan.”