French Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean thinks that the Haas team will not have the right to make a mistake in 2019 after going into another dimension during the 2018 F1 season.
After finishing eighth in its first two seasons in the discipline, the US team jumped in the league in 2018, placing fifth in the constructors after a long battle with Renault.
Team manager Gunther Steiner admitted at the end of the previous year that the mistakes made due to the lack of experience had allowed the French team to finish ahead for 29 points, despite the fact that Haas averaged faster.
The most emblematic of these mistakes are undoubtedly those of the inaugural Australian Grand Prix during which, while the drivers of the American stable seemed to be able to comfortably finish in the top 7, a problem when fixing the wheels during pit stops resulted in their abandonment, one round apart, and cost valuable points.
Grosjean believes that Haas must aim for the best position of others this year, even if for him it will have to go by doing better on some aspects.
“It’s going to be a big challenge, especially with the important regulatory changes, but I think our goal [in 2019] will be to try to finish fourth, behind the top 3.” Grosjean said.
“So we’ll have to raise our level, I think this year, what we’ve learned is that we’ve moved to another dimension, from the back of the middle of the pack to the front of the middle of the pack. things that we can do, mistakes that we could commit, but now we cannot anymore, because everything counts, we must be more precise, we must be more rigorous.
“But it’s been a great year learning all of this, so I think the team is now ready to keep moving forward, to move forward and if the base of the car is as good [ than in 2018], so there’s no reason we’re not fighting for fourth place.” Grosjean added.
Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen will both remain at Haas for 2019 season. (Source:www.autosport.com)
With the team enjoying by far its best season in F1 to date and challenging the works Renault team fourth place in Constructors’ Championship, Haas’ decision to retain Grosjean and his team-mate Kevin Magnussen as little surprise.
