Romain Grosjean says it is important for the Haas F1 Team not to give up on in 2019, and points at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix, where he finished fourth and team-mate Kevin Magnussen fifth, to just how one race can have a big effect on the championship.
Haas currently lie ninth in the Constructors’ Championship but are only sixteen points shy of fifth placed Scuderia Toro Rosso, and at the Red Bull Ring last season, the team scored an impressive twenty-two points, and a repeat of that would propel them up several places.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, the venue of his last podium finish in Formula 1 back in 2015, Grosjean says it is important to keep fighting and developing the VF-19 and push to move up the pecking order across the remaining nine races of 2019.
“Anything can happen – that’s why you should never give up,” insists Grosjean. “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.”
The Belgian Grand Prix is the first race after the enforced summer break and Grosjean says it was good for everyone to be able to rest and come back refreshed for the final nine races of the campaign.
“It maybe doesn’t feel like a new season, but it does feel like a fresh start,” said the Frenchman. “It’s always good because everyone’s well-rested and ready to attack the second part of the season.”
Spa-Francorchamps has often been described as a driver’s track, and Grosjean says the layout gives a variety of challenges and makes for an enjoyable experience.
“[It’s a driver’s track] probably because of the layout of the corners and the high-speed part of the track,” said Grosjean. “It just has a good variety overall and it gives you a good feeling to drive.”
