Romain Grosjean

Was drafted into F1 with not an ounce of testing and replaced Nelson Piquet Jr in the middle of 2009 when he was possibly on route to becoming the GP2 Champion that season, which went to Nico Hulkenburg.

In his 7 races in F1 he failed to impress and the no in-season testing rule didn't help his course. Plus having Fernando Alonso as his teammate couldn't have helped either.

In 2010 Grosjean went to do Auto GP, before returning back to GP2 on July 20th for a few guess appearances for DAM'S. But in 2011 Grosjean was given a full-time drive by DAM'S for the 2011 GP2 series and went on to become the 2011 GP2 Champion.

My question is will Grosjean get a drive for 2012? Plus how far can this guy go if he gets into F1?
 
Click to expand
He also won GP2 Asia this year :) Under-rated driver in my opinion, I certainly don't think 2009 at Renault was a true reflection of his talent. Certainly deserves another crack at F1.
How far will he go? Could cement a seat in a middle-of-the-grid team but there are a handfull of current drivers better than him, limiting a chance in a top 4 team. Although of course that depends on how he does next year (if he gets a drive that is).
 
I think he's under-ratered as well and that the 2009 stint at Renault did him more harm than good. If he'd of stayed in GP2 and took the championship in front of Hulkenberg he'd be rated much higher.

I suspect as he's just been doing testing for Renault and because the GP2 champion has landed a drive in F1 the following year(apart from 2008) that he will be in F1 again next year. Its been suggested that Eric Boullier has him lined up for a Williams seat or that Grosjean is on stand-by if Kubica fails to return and Senna stuffs his chances to take on the Lotus seat.

Earlier this season he was linked to the Virgin drive too
 
I think he's a talented driver deserving of another opportunity. The only question in my mind is whether he can find the required application to go with that talent - there were a few tales coming out of the Renault team last time suggesting that his attitude wasn't quite what they would expect. A spell in Auto GP should have deflated the ego a fair bit, though, if that was indeed what was required.

Presumably Eric Boullier, as Romain's manager through the Gravity company, will benefit personally if Grosjean goes on to drive for another top team in F1? More than a little Briatore-esque, you'd have to say. Let's hope his team-mate doesn't get the 'Alex Wurz chassis' next season, eh?
 
Lets be honest Grosjean was used by Briatore as a pawn to out Piquet Jnr by bringing him every race to undermine Nelson

Then Piquet Jnr gets sacked and Grosjean gets his chance at being thrown into the lion's den by being asked to be faster than Nelsinho but not beat Alonso and with no testing allowed so hardly a fair chance to show himself

This was on top of Renault initially being banned from Valencia for putting on a faulty tyre the race before and then crashgate took the whole down thanks to Briatore stupid fat ego

Renault was in a real mess as Bouillier put it no direction because Alonso was leaving and the fat Italian set the whole team up to lick Alonso's boots
 
Looking at Grosjean's qualifying performance against Alonso (represented by the 100% line) in 2009...
FA_2009.jpg

...he comes out of it looking rather better than Piquet, I would suggest. Obviously that doesn't necessarily mark him out as world champion material, but I think it does count in his favour.
 
Galahad said:
Looking at Grosjean's qualifying performance against Alonso (represented by the 100% line) in 2009...
FA_2009.jpg

...he comes out of it looking rather better than Piquet, I would suggest. Obviously that doesn't necessarily mark him out as world champion material, but I think it does count in his favour.
Click to expand

Wow brilliant find Galahad. Looks good from Grosjeans point of view considering he'd only done 7 races.

I'd personally like to see him given another shot at F1, he clearly looks like a person thats been on a mission this year. The only next step up from GP2 is F1 or he does what so many have done before him and heads to the US, which i don't think would be the best move to make.
 
Ok - so even if the Kimi/Williams rumours are not true it appears Sutil will fill that seat alongside Maldonado - and with Lotus/Renault having Petrov with a year to run on his contract, Kubica out to prove he can come back and take a seat there and thanks to big Brazilian sponsors having a new favoured son in Bruno Senna where does that leave GP2 champion Roman Grosjean?

Pretty much nowhere thats where! A seat at Toro Rosso? doubtful with Ricciardo and Vergne waiting in the wings on that one. Sauber - full. Force India - full. Caterham - full. Virgin? I thought they had Wickens in the wings but maybe.

Seems a shame but I think he's gonna end up at Lotus/Renaults test driver next year hoping one of their drivers messes up!
 
Well Roman lets see what you are made of now

Bouillier has given him a second chance and this time says he is ready so if he blows Raikkonen away then that might be interesting turn up

This partnership will be watched with intrigue
 
Look! A driver managed by the team boss! And in Renault, again!
Didn't they FIA say they would do something to avoid the evident conflict of interests that happens when the team boss is also the manager of one/both of the drivers? :thinking:

--------------------------------------------
In the little I could watch of Grosjean in GP2, it looked to me that he has matured a lot as a driver. I think he could be an interesting addition to the grid :)
 

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