10/11/2015
NEWS STORY
With just two races left in this chapter of his Enstone career, Romain Grosjean gives some insight into how he will be approaching his Brazilian Grand Prix weekend.
How are you looking forward to the penultimate race of the season?
Romain Grosjean: It's the penultimate race of the season and also my penultimate of this chapter with the team so it will be quite emotional. I'm sure we'll see this at the team dinner we have every year at a churrascaria where the team who travels around all year can let their hair down a little and share some laughs over a couple of drinks well before the practice sessions. Like every year I will be raising a caipirinha to everyone in the team in Sao Paulo, then another to everyone back in Enstone too!
What is your strategy in the churrascaria?
RG: It is an evening where you have to be very strategic and pace yourself. The trick is not to go too fast too soon. Early in the evening they bring out the cheaper cuts of meat and the salad bar is very well stocked so it's easy to fill yourself up before the more expensive cuts come out. The other factor to be aware of is don't drink too much as it's very tempting to do that. Also, through the evening you need to store sufficient supplies just in case of any food fight!
Tell us about Interlagos; is it a track you like?
RG: It's a fantastic track and there's no part of it that isn't great. It really suits my driving style so I'm really looking forward to it. It's a big challenge at every turn. There never seems to have a part where you relax. Even the main start-finish 'straight' isn't boring as it starts uphill with some interesting camber, then gradually turns before finishing at the downhill turn one, where it's so easy to out-brake yourself. If I had to pick favourite parts of Interlagos, I would say the first and last corners; the first corner is really technical and punishes you if you get it wrong, and the last corner is so fast and really puts quite a stain on your body. As a driver I really enjoy these corners. It's an old style track, so very hard to pick out a single element; I'd say everything is pretty good in Interlagos; I love it!
What's the response of the fans like in Brazil?
RG: They really love Formula 1 and Formula 1 really loves the Brazilian fans. You feel the passion when you arrive at the circuit and you see so many fans outside and around the track and city too. Of course, we know they all save their strongest support for their own Brazilian drivers but everyone in Formula 1 gets a strong welcome.
You and Pastor were very close throughout the last race?
RG: I wasn't happy with how he got past me at the start in Mexico so I was determined to keep him behind me at the end of the race. It's great that the fans could see both the Lotus F1 Team cars racing so close, although we all wish it was racing further up the order! I think we got pretty much everything we could from the car in Mexico.
What are your other thoughts on the Mexican Grand Prix?
RG: Like everyone I was very impressed by it. It was a great event. The track was really good, the facilities were very impressive, the fans were knowledgeable and enthusiastic and it was a really rewarding and enjoyable weekend.
Pastor Maldonado keeps rolling on the Latin vibe for the Brazilian Grand Prix at Sao Paulo's fabulous Interlagos circuit.
We are going from one of the newest circuits on the calendar to one of the oldest; what do you think of Interlagos?
Pastor Maldonado: Interlagos may not have the most impressive infrastructure these days but it is a great, historic circuit. I really love the track, the atmosphere and the people. Brazilians have such a great Formula 1 heritage and for me it will be great to be at another event where there are a lot of Venezuelans in the crowds. Hopefully we can have a great race and put on another good show for the South American fans.
What are the challenges of the layout?
PM: Technically it's always tricky to find a set-up balance between the twisty parts of the circuit and the long straights. In an ideal world you'd want Monza-spec for the start and end of the lap and Hungaroring-spec for the rest! Different drivers and teams will make different compromises, which all adds up to an interesting race. Some will go for greater straight-line speed to help them pass and defend in the race, others more downforce for a better lap time and less sliding. Bumps can also be an issue and there are several overtaking opportunities on the track which rewards late braking, both to go on the attack and keep rivals behind. Last but not least the unpredictable weather is sure to keep us on our toes.
We've seen some epic races in Interlagos where wet weather has been a factor and thunderstorms are present...
PM: We all know the amount of rain which can fall in Sao Paulo and the Interlagos track even has grooves cut into it to help the water flow off the track! It's a challenging circuit in the dry and even more so in the wet, but there have been some amazing races over the years because of this. One of the great aspects of racing at Interlagos is you can almost feel the vibe of the crowd as well as hear their enthusiasm, even when the rain is falling. Whatever the weather, we'll be pushing for the best result possible.
How do you look back over the Mexican Grand Prix weekend?
PM: It was a superb return to Mexico for Formula 1 and it was enjoyable for everyone. We received a warm welcome and the facilities were spectacular. For a first race back after so many years off the calendar it was such a well-run and superbly organised Grand Prix. It's certainly an event I'm really looking forward to on the calendar for many future seasons.
How did you enjoy your race-long battle with Romain?
PM: I made a better start than him so it was great to get ahead, but then we lost that through traffic at my first pit stop. After that we were always very close on track, even when we were fighting other cars. At the end of the race I felt much quicker but it is a hard place to pass. Nevertheless I kept pushing as that's what racers do. I would have been happier finishing in front, but we both delivered well for the team and hopefully gave the fans plenty of excitement too.
Are you hoping to show more fighting spirit for the final two races of 2015?
PM: I always want to show fighting spirit! We have two races to end the year, at two very different race tracks. We want to score as many points as possible and we'll be doing everything we can to achieve that. I'm never scared to race whoever else is after the same points I'm pursuing so we'll definitely keep fighting till the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi.