Romain Grosjean admits he tends to be “too pushy”, and can even “sound like an assh*le in the car” but the Frenchman says Haas likes his fiery determination.
After a dream start to life in Formula One, the US newcomers’ maiden campaign has a hit a few snags, especially across recent races. Haas recorded a double DNF in Malaysia following a brake disc failure for Grosjean, while Esteban Gutierrez lost a wheel after a pit stop.
Grosjean was quite vocal in his criticism of the VF-16 with several outbursts over the radio, including a strong statement during an issue-plagued weekend in Singapore about the car being the worst he had ever driven.
“I’ve got the tendency to be too pushy and too passionate, but that’s what the guys love,” the 30-year-old said ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
“When I crashed the car in qualifying at Singapore I came back and said very sorry it’s going to be a long night and they said we don’t care, we know you are out there doing 120 per cent and that’s what we want to see.
“There’s nothing personal when I say the car is bad and so on. It’s to put words on the feeling, which is not so easy to do. It’s like when you try something and it’s disgusting and you are ‘I hate it’, it’s bad but it’s not against the thing or the cook, it’s just not your taste, but you need to put a word on the feeling.
“I’m passionate, I’m not a Finn that is very calm, I’m more a Latin guy. I live for my passion.”
Grosjean concedes he made efforts to be more measured in his feedback in Sepang.
“I’ve tried to back off, because it’s playing on the TV and so on, and people who don’t know me, they think it’s wrong. I can tell you I’m passionate.”
“It sounds like I’m an assh*le in the car but in the end I’m a nice guy, or I think I’m a nice guy, and everyone knows it, and they know that if I’m pushing it’s because I’m pushing myself, and I want to push everyone the same way.”
Chris Medland's 2016 Japanese Grand Prix preview
Scene at the Malaysian Grand Prix
2016 Malaysian Grand Prix - Quotes of the week
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
The revolving door of Formula 1 talent has just swung wide open for one of…
Thirty years after conquering the Formula 1 world title with Williams, Damon Hill is heading…
Carlos Sainz has urged FIA and Formula One Management to keep an “open mind” over…
Isack Hadjar is facing the ultimate baptism of fire this season in F1: going wheel-to-wheel…
The great Juan Manuel Fangio certainly enjoyed a storied motorsport career but the episode that…
Colton Herta has been handed a clear target by Cadillac ahead of his rookie FIA…