Romain Grosjean is relishing Formula 1’s return to the legendary Suzuka Circuit for next weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
2014 has not gone as the Frenchman would have liked it to, yielding just eight points thanks to the troublesome Lotus E22 car. However, he is hopeful of a better showing at Suzuka which allows the drivers to flourish and make up for car deficiencies.
“Suzuka is a track that highlights the good aspects of a chassis,” Grosjean explained. “I hope that we can be in a position where we have a realistic chance of some points positions.
“At Suzuka the driver can make a difference to some extent, especially through sector one, so I will be hugely pumped up to make sure we are in the best position possible to add to our points tally.”
Grosjean has not finished inside the top ten since the Monaco Grand Prix at the end of May, but he did come close to adding to his total last time out in Singapore before eventually crossing the line in 13th place.
Suzuka has been the site of many great races throughout the history of Formula 1, and Grosjean made no secret of his excitement for racing in Japan once again.
“It is the kind of track that you find time and improvements, however small, all of the time,” he said. “It is a very special race track in this respect. Sector one is unbelievable and after you have finished it you can breathe a little bit, but not for long.
“There is no margin for error with very little run-off area and the track is quite narrow, especially at the top of the hill. I love it. Every metre of the Suzuka track is special and every metre a challenge. The Spoon Curve is especially fantastic, a real thrill to drive in an F1 car.”
Grosjean finished third in last year’s race at Suzuka after running Red Bull drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber very close for victory. Although such lofty heights are not possible in 2014, points would still be a welcome result for the plucky Frenchman.
