Grosjean hits the big '100' in Texas

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The USGP in Austin will mark Romain Grosjean's 100th Grand Prix start, and the Frenchman is looking forward to honouring the milestone appropriately.

It all started in Valencia in 2009, where Grosjean replaced Nelsonho Piquet at Renault for a seven-race stint which did not produce the expected full-time drive the following year.

But two years later, in 2012, Grosjean was recruited by Lotus where he would assert himself as an established driver. The Frenchman's best results to date are two second-place finishes: one in Montreal, and one in... Austin.

" To be fair, when I started in F1 I thought it’ll just be one race after the other, then here we are at 100 grands prix, 10 podium finishes, a few points and lots of good memories, and some a little more difficult," Grosjean says.

"The good thing is, I don’t know when I’m going to stop, but I think I’ve still got plenty of room in front of me to keep going and to keep trying to win. Definitely 100 grands prix is quite something in my lifetime."

As the driver of an American team, Grosjean's 100th start coincidently comes on home soil for Haas, and at a venue where he achieved a career best in 2013, something that's isn't lost on the Frenchman.

"For us, it couldn’t be better. I’m so proud to be part of this team and so proud to be able to bring the cars into Q3 in qualifying and bring points to the team.

"We’ve been working very hard and everyone is really giving 100 percent. It probably means more for us than other people."

“I think it’s going to be great. I’m very much looking forward to it. America is a huge country and I’m really hoping we can get a lot of fans.

"Yes, there’ll be an extra pride to be driving for an American team on the circuit, and hopefully getting a good result on Sunday."

On the verge of passing the '100' mark, how does Grosjean see the future for himself and the Haas outfit?

"For myself, I want to be world champion, ideally twice. That’s been my dream since I started. I always wanted to be in Formula 1 but, on top of that, I want to be world champion.

"For Haas, the first goal was to score points and the second one was a top-five finish. We’ve done those two. The next goal is to be wearing the team’s colors on the podium. That would be very nice.

"I’d like to bring the first win to the team, which would be unbelievable. I think the whole idea is wonderful and having the support of Gene (Haas) means a lot to all of us.

"The way Guenther (Steiner) and all the people involved are running the team is just something very special. I want to be the driver that everyone remembers at Haas."

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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.