Grosjean ready to go on the 'attack' with Haas in Australia

Romain Grosjean won't be cruising Down Under when the Australian Grand Prix weekend kicks off, with the Haas driver set to activate attack mode at the outset.

In terms of performance, Grosjean is hoping Haas' VF-19 will prove as efficient and incisive in Melbourne as its predecessor was last year, when the US outfit was in the running for a double top-6 finish before it fumbled its pitstops.

Haas' pre-season testing programme was slightly undermined by a few gremlins but both Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen put good mileage on their new-spec 2019 contender.

Haas fully 'prepared' for pitstops after 2018 blunder

"The most important thing was to get a good feeling in the car early on," said Grosjean about the Barcelona winter test.

"When you get that good feeling, you know the car is well born.

"That’s important to start the season – to be able to start on a high. It went well. Reliability, we had a few issues, but we’ve been working well to sort them out."

"I believe we’re now ready to attack the first race in Australia. Obviously, there’s always more and more you want to do, but then it’s becoming circuit-specific.

"Now it’s about getting the baseline setup in Melbourne and then fine tuning for Bahrain, China and so on."

©Haas

Grosjean admits he was captivated by the aesthetics of the VF-19 the first time he laid eyes on the car in its completed form.

But more importantly, the Frenchman believes his team did a good job interpreting this year's rule changes centered around aerodynamics.

"It’s very sexy. It’s a beautiful car. It handles very well," he said of his new ride.

"The feeling in the car is better than it was last year. I think the team has done a really good job on its understanding of the new front wing and getting ready for the season to start.

"I’m really looking forward to driving the car on different kinds of circuits."

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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.