Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

“It will be difficult in Baku this year,” said Romain Grosjean, a driver of Haas F1 Team, as he was interviewed by the official website of Baku City Circuit.

Question: What do you think about the design of the new cars?

Answer: They look pretty cool and aggressive. Most importantly, they are much faster than the cars that we had before. As soon as I first saw the new car with these wide tires and wide rear wings, I immediately thought that it would be a fast car. So, we are awaiting an interesting season. Let’s see who has done well during the off-season, I hope we have made a step forward. For the time being, it is still not clear whether it will be easier to overtake or not – there is no data available yet with regards to this.

Q.: Overall, how did you prepare for the new season?

A.: I had a very hard training program, including a lot of exercises in the gym, jogging, bicycle races etc. This was one of the most difficult winter pre-seasons I have ever had.

Q.: What are your expectations before the season begins and what goals do you want to achieve?

A.: As the season has not started yet, it is difficult to talk about that. The main thing is to stay professional and keep progressing.

Q.: Do you agree that a second season for a new team can often be even more difficult than the first one?

A.: Yes, there is such an opinion, but in my view, it will be easier for us this season. We already have a certain knowledge and skills, and we know how to work with the car. So, I think, we shall demonstrate a better performance than last year.

Q.: At the beginning of your career, you were involved in several accidents which could have resulted in putting an end to your Formula 1 career. Now you have left all your troubles behind. How did you handle those challenges?

A.: Yes, I was more aggressive than required. That was my youth. But, then I gained more experience, I became calmer and more confident, I demonstrated more stable performances and recorded several podiums and tried to squeeze the maximum out of the car. Every year, you learn something new in Formula 1.

Q.: You have had a lot of teammates in your career so far. What do you think is the most important element for establishing a healthy atmosphere within a Formula 1 team?

A.: It is always very difficult to create healthy relationships in an atmosphere of constant competition. In my opinion, however, the most important thing is respect. There can be no result without respect.

Q.: As you know, Kurt Bush, won the crazy Nascar race for Haas. How long do you think it will take until we witness the first Haas victory in Formula 1?

A.: Sincerely speaking, it is really difficult to answer this question. It has been a decade since Haas first entered the NASCAR grid. Hopefully, we will need much less time to achieve a victory in F1. That being said, one should not expect victories from us this year. But, who knows?

Q.: Let’s talk about Baku. What did you like most in Baku?

A.: Well, I was pleasantly surprised by the country and city, and especially the historical part of Baku. It is worthwhile to mention the track separately. It turned out to be really complex, fast and difficult to pass. I think it will be even more difficult for us with our faster cars this year. A perfect place!

Q.: Did you have an opportunity to visit your friend who is a chef at a local restaurant in Baku?

A.: Yes, we dined out there every night!

This summer’s 2017 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix to be staged on the streets of the capital city is scheduled to take place on the weekend June 23-25, 2017.

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