Grosjean: “I will be in F1 in 2010”

Romain Grosjean, this half-season in Formula 1 Was it ultimately a good experience?
I learned a lot alongside Fernando Alonso, an extraordinary driver and a great man outside the car. I gained a lot of experience and I never had to be ashamed of my level of performance. When the car was running well, it was going well. Afterwards we lacked performance and we both fell to the depths of the ranking, particularly in Abu Dhabi, where it was really difficult for us, and even for Fernando!
I was never more than two or three tenths away from him. He is the best driver in the world and he announces that he has never ridden as well as today? In 2006, being two tenths behind Alonso meant being on the front row and finishing second in the race. So in the end, when we analyze it all cold, it's not so bad.

We feel a certain media pressure around you. How do you deal with this?
Pressure and media coverage are part of being an F1 driver. We have to accept it. I'm experiencing it pretty well. More than a certain pressure, it is the numerous messages of encouragement that I have received, and that I receive every day, that I want to remember. I feel that people support me, that there is a great desire to see me continue the adventure in F1 and that there are people behind me. Today, I take all of this as positive pressure.

Currently, what can you tell us about your future?
For the moment we wait. There are around a dozen drivers without contracts currently, so everyone is a bit in the dark. We are waiting and I think that from mid-November things will settle down. We will then see the best opportunity to seize.

Do you have contacts with other teams than Renault F1?
Yes. We are talking with Renault F1, but we are also talking with other teams. Nothing is certain yet, but I will be in F1 in 2010.