Romain Grosjean says “I have never been as frustrated” as after Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, as the Haas driver could not convert “one my best drives” into a return to the points-paying positions.
Lining up a season-best seventh on the grid, Grosjean dropped a couple of places at the start and generally struggled through his first stint before coming alive when switching to the harder Pirelli compound.
The Frenchman eventually finished just one second outside the points, as he recorded Haas' seventh 11th-place finishes on its maiden campaign.
“I lost a bit of ground into Turn 1 with Hulkenberg just coming in front of me, I almost crashed into him, so that was very close,” Grosjean said.
“I think we struggled on the first stint with the green track and the softs, they had a lot of graining, but then the car was flying, it was really good, I had some good overtaking. I think I’m never been as frustrated as today in another race, because I think we deserved much more.
“The pace of the car was much faster than the Williams, we just got the life on the hard tyre wrong and we could have pitted earlier on the last stint but the pace was amazing. That’s a lot of promise for the future, it’s just so bloody annoying being that close and we couldn’t do anything.”
After a series of challenging races and recurrent brake problems for him and Haas, Grosjean was at least able to find solace in the team’s improved performance in Japan, though the 30-year-old still does not feel totally comfortable under braking.
“We know what’s happening here, there is not a lot of energy in the brakes, they are cold, and they don’t work when they are cold so I don’t get any confidence, but honestly that is one of the best drives of my career, which is for no point.
“I’m really, really frustrated from the result but so optimistic about the updates we’ve brought and the pace we had in the car.
“There is so many the positives, the front wing works well and everything is great, we just couldn’t get [into the points].”
Haas has not recorded a top-10 finish since last July’s Austrian Grand Prix. The US newcomers are currently eighth in the Constructors' championship with 28 points.
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