Grosjean still holding on to elusive Ferrari dream

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Romain Grosjean is keeping his tentative hopes of joining Ferrari alive despite a very troubled season year-to-date with Haas.

The Frenchman has been singled out in the last few races, dumping his car on the side of the track following big mistakes in Baku and Barcelona, but Grosjean has also suffered at the hands of team mate Kevin Magnussen in terms of relative performance.

In an interview with German website Motorsport-Magazin.com, the 32-year-old defends his case, insisting - a bit simplistically - that mistakes are only human.

"I’ve made a mistake, mistakes happen to everyone. We are not robots," he says.

"I’m sure if you write an article, you sometimes make mistakes, typos and then people check you for them. The thing is, if you do it before, nobody will see it because you corrected it.

Magnussen 'doesn't care what others think'

"When I brake and I turn behind the safety car, because the rear wheels are blocking because the damn tires are cold and hard like s *** … everyone says something like that quickly.

"I told my boys I probably would do it again, because I did not do anything crazy. It was only a lot of circumstances that came together," he adds.

"I try to understand everything and why I made a mistake. What happened, what I could have done differently and what I would do differently if it happened again.

"I’m the hardest with myself. But at some point I decide to conclude and take these findings for me."

Haas has often been perceived as a direct pipeline for Grosjean to Ferrari, given the team's technical partnership. While he sees the Scuderia as a possible destination, he denies Haas was chosen as a springboard to Maranello.

"Of course, to go to Ferrari one day, I would never say no. That’s my dream and I do not deny it. But I did not go to Haas because I imagined getting into Ferrari," he explains.

"That was a shortcut that some of the media came up with.

"But I thought it would help me to grow, to understand new things, to become a better driver and to gain more skills to someday fight for the Championship if I had the opportunity."

Grosjean has yet to extend his lease in Formula 1 for 2019, but he would be happy to remain at Haas next year while keeping his Ferrari ambitions on the back burner.

"I would be happy to stay. And I think the team sees it the way we do," he says.

"Of course I do not want to speak for the team here. But I would be happy to continue here because we are not done yet and I think we can do more.

"Especially with the rules from 2021. This should give opportunities for the teams to remix the balance of power. But we will see what the future holds."

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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.