Grosjean: I’m pretty sure we could surprise some people

After the highs of 2013, the lows of 2014 tried to deliver a sucker punch to Lotus F1 team’s Romain Grosjean. Our Swiss-French driver is made of pretty stern stuff and is ready to remind people of how good he can be with a nifty set of wheels under him.

What’s Romain Grosjean’s plan for 2015?

To get the most out of myself, get the most out of our new car, the E23, and get the most out of the team so we can all return to the podium in 2015, hopefully on the top step! We had a tough season last year, but we’re fully focused on fighting at the very front of the grid as soon as possible.

You are going into your fourth season as race driver for the team; how should this continuity benefit performance?

The time certainly passes quickly! We all know each other very well and this enables us to get straight down to business. Our first date was a long time ago and we know how to get the best out of each other! I’ve been working very closely with my engineers for so many races with some great results and some difficult races so we have a lot of knowledge between us. This helps when we arrive at a race track or are learning a new car. For this year I have new race engineer, Julien, who I know well from working with him over the past years when he has been in a different position. My previous race engineer, Ayao, has a new role with the team as Chief Engineer. We’ve had three wonderful seasons together and enjoyed nine podiums so I can’t wait to enjoy more success with him in 2015!

With a tough season like last year do you have to reappraise and re-evaluate your approach?

You always want to do the best job possible and achieve the very best results whether you have the best car on the grid or are fighting at the end of the field. Certainly, we pushed very hard last year – I would say I drove some of my best races in 2014 – even if the effort is not rewarded with a strong result. Of course, this season I intend to be giving my best once more, and achieving great results again!

Are you happy with the direction of development for the E23?

There are some elements I’m very happy about and it’s no secret that I can’t wait to sample the Mercedes power under my right foot! The car looks good on the outside and it looks good under the skin too. The aero department is talking positively about the figures delivered in the wind tunnel so there’s a lot to be excited about in that regard too. Though the points didn’t come on strong last year, we learnt so much and it’s great to see so many improvements in this year’s car relative to where we were this time last year.

How is your mind set coming into the new season?

I feel good. I’m positive about our potential for the year ahead and I’m looking forward to getting out in the E23 for the first time and adding to its development as we undertake the pre-season testing. I can’t wait to be in a Grand Prix again. it seems ages since the final race of 2014 and I am really looking forward to being in what should be a car far more reflective of the talents of everyone at Enstone than we saw last year. I’ve had a good couple of months where I’ve been able to relax with my family and recharge my batteries as well as do lots of training – even when it involves getting outside in the cold and wet of a British winter around the factory!

What’s the potential of Romain Grosjean and Lotus F1 Team in 2015?

We can do well. If I was a betting man I think I’d have a look at the odds available on us for getting strong results in the year ahead as I’m pretty sure we could surprise some people. Last year was not a true reflection of what we’re capable of and I know we’ll be achieving far better over the season ahead.