Grosjean feels hurt by 'complainer' reputation

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Romain Grosjean's frequent complaining over his team's radio has earned him a reputation as Formula 1's resident whiner, but the Haas driver takes issue with the label.

Unfortunately, Grosjean's radio messages are a favourite of whoever disseminates his complaints to the sport's television feed.

But the Frenchman believes its very unfair for F1 fans to draw from the messages conclusions about his personality or character.

"It hurts when fans say 'Grosjean complains all the time'," he told Ekstra Bladet newspaper.

"My radio is just used (by the broadcasters) all the time.

"I don't only complain, and if I do, it's for the team to get better. You don't think about it when you're in the car. You're just working," he added.

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Haas team mate Kevin Magnussen has had the edge over Grosjean so far this season, a state of affairs which has led to the perception that he has stepped up his complaining as the two men are often pitted against each other.

"We're working to give me a little more feeling with the front end," said Grosjean.

"Sometimes it's just the feeling that makes you faster than your teammate at the highest level of the sport."

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner believes the current disparity between the US outfit's drivers is a question of confidence.

"I think [with] Romain the car needs to be perfect to his liking, whereas Kevin can drive around a lot of things," Steiner told Motorsport.com.

"It is both things, plus and minuses to be honest.

"If we have a perfect car then [Romain] is fantastic whereas Kevin says 'OK, it is OK'.

"But he has learned and he pushes hard for what he wants now. If Kevin has a small problem he adapts better to drive around it."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.