Crash kid Romain Grosjean wants to make amends

They call him a ‘first-lap nutcase’. Drivers dread the prospect of being around him. We are talking about Romain Grosjean, a Frenchman whose talent was overshadowed by some erratic mistakes throughout the 2012 season.

A third-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix — it was his comeback race — was all about pace, but a second-lap retirement after a collision with Pastor Maldonado laid to rest any further positive talk.

The trend continued and, by the end of the season, he was involved in eight incidents, banned for a race and fined 50,000 euros. But the flashes of brilliance, which saw him land on the podium in Bahrain, Canada and Hungary, convinced Lotus team principal Eric Boullier to keep the 26-year-old on the roster.

For Grosjean, bygones are bygones. “Hopefully with my results on track this season, I will earn back the respect for my driving skills,” Grosjean told DNA ahead of the season opener in Melbourne. “I have spoken with the team about the season ahead and we have done a lot of work in this area (about my driving skills).”

Grosjean feels there were many positive performances last season that “me and the team can be proud about” and which will help him this season.

Boullier, who has put his head on the line, wants Grosjean to show some maturity. The Frenchman is aware of what his boss expects. “I speak to Eric a lot so there is no additional pressure. We all know what we want to see in 2013,” Grosjean said.

If not for his erratic driving, Grosjean could have finished higher than teammate Kimi Raikkonen in the final standings. After all, he out-qualified the Finn in 10 of the 19 sessions they did together, but Raikkonen outscored Grosjean (207 points to 96).

Raikkonen finished third in the championship and Grosjean in eighth position. Had the Frenchman been more consistent, Lotus may have been able to beat McLaren and claim third place in the constructors’ championship.

Grosjean accepted the fact that his lack of experience cost him in the end. “To score points, you need to finish the race. Kimi is very experienced and you could see that in the way he finished all the races last season. I now have a full season of experience so this will help in 2013. I know I have the speed and we’re all pushing hard for a strong season.
Let’s see what happens.”

A fast driver, his challenge will be to play it safe on the first lap. If he manages to do so, we will see him challenge the Vettels and Alonsos more often than not. Wouldn’t it be better than spending time on the pitwall?

@rajeshpansare