Grosjean wondered if he wanted to continue in F1

It’s a Romain Grosjean smiling and undoubtedly a little relieved who presented himself to the press in the Singapore paddock this Thursday. 

Despite the confidence recently displayed by the Frenchman regarding his future with Haas, his boss Guenther Steiner confided from the city state that the US team came very close to recruiting Nico Hülkenberg. 

The Italian manager has been hinting in recent weeks that perhaps it is necessary to breathe new life into Haas, while the American team is going through a complicated season on a sporting level. 

« It’s good news, it’s good to continue with the team, reacted Grosjean in Singapore. I've been saying it since the start of the season: I feel like we haven't finished our story together even if this season has proven to be more difficult in terms of results than the previous ones. 

I had confidence in my work and my technical feedback even if the performances don't necessarily speak for us. We remain very dependent on the car and I hope that we will manage to find solutions for next season. 

In the sport, emotions are extreme in both directions. When everything is going well, you are the king of the world. After a bad race, a team manager may want to fire his two drivers, and vice versa a driver may want to look elsewhere. When we talk on Monday, when the emotions have subsided, there is no problem. The relationship with Guenther is good, we have always known how to say things to each other ». 

Relaunched to find out if he was afraid of losing his place in F1, Grosjean responded in the negative while revealing that he had, however, had doubts about his desire to continue in the world of Grands Prix.  

« I haven't won a championship since 2011 (and his GP2 Series title with DAMS), he added. It’s been 2013 since I’ve had a car capable of taking me to the podium. Sometimes it's like playing tennis with a ping pong racket. You're not going to win many tournaments... Do I want to continue when it's always going to be David versus Goliath?

So I asked myself the question of whether I wanted to continue in Formula 1. Wouldn't I be better off in a less publicized championship and where you perhaps earn less money but where you is fighting for victory. It’s important to ask yourself these questions. And the answer was: I want to continue in Formula 1. I am very happy here.

It’s a personal, general feeling. I wanted to know what I wanted to do. I also had a discussion with my eldest son Sacha who is six years old. He told me : “Dad, I haven’t had the opportunity to come see you on a Grand Prix weekend yet and I want to do it next year.” Casually, it weighed in the balance ». 

Grosjean will compete his 10th season in the elite in 2020.