53 replies to this topic

[Dutchrudder]

Announced on facebook.

https://www.facebook...05/?extid=0&d=n

“ The last chapter is closed and the book is finished.

I've been with Haas F1 Team since day 1. Five years during which we went through highs and lows, scored 110 points in 92 races, but the journey was worth it. I've learned a lot, improved to be a better driver as well as a better man. I hope I’ve also helped people in the team to improve themself. This is probably my biggest pride, more than any of the crazy first races in 2016 or the P4 at the Austrian GP 2018.

I wish the team all the best for the future.

Romain”


Actually makes it sound like he’s already left but I’m guessing it’s the end of the season.

Edited by Dutchrudder, 22 October 2020 - 07:57.

[Maustinsj]

Who will replace him, I wonder?

[H0R]

He wasn't the most successful driver ever, but I still consider him mostly underrated. And he seems to be a very nice character to boot. I will miss him.

[Rodaknee]

 

... improved to be a better driver...
 

Still deluded.

 

He's kept better drivers out of seats for most of his career.

[TheFish]

He had a decent career, especially after a pretty awful start in 2009. Managed to get quite a few podiums and became very wealthy.

 

He can look back happy on his career in F1.

 

I won't miss him though, so whiny and far too many crashes.

[jimjimjeroo]

His post has gone.

[MaGiK]

Kevin also confirmed his exit...

[Spillage]

Magnussen is leaving Haas, too: https://twitter.com/...serp|twgr^tweet

 

It's a great opportunity for them to get an exciting lineup, maybe Perez/Ilott or something like that. I bet they end up with two crappy pay drivers though. I know Mazepin's name has been in the frame, which is a shame.

Edited by Spillage, 22 October 2020 - 08:23.

[kosmos]

Never a fan of his driving or his attitude. I wish him luck though, he had a good run and got plenty of money from F1.

[absinthedude]

Grosjean's career in F1 is a strange one. In over his head in his early days and downright dangerous....he served his apprenticeship and ban and in the early 2010s improved a lot to a point where he almost won grands prix. Then he ended up at Haas where for the first couple of years he pretty much single-handedly kept the team in regular points positions.

 

But the last couple of seasons he's not only been tangibly slower than KMAG but his old habits have crept back. Maybe he just doesn't do well in lower midfield cars? His career will always be a case of "what if?".

 

But he's had a decade of F1, can rightly be proud of his middle years in grand prix racing...and is presumably quite wealthy. I won't especially miss him but I bet he'll pop up in years to come as "that French bloke who could have been a winner".

[Jovanotti]

He seems like a decent guy out of, but a pretty annoying one in the car. Wishing him all the best, but really I think it's about time Haas try something new. Would have kept Magnussen though.

Edited by Jovanotti, 22 October 2020 - 08:32.

[Augurk]

After years of conservatism with Haas to kick them both out highly surprises me. 

I think Grosjean has had good chances in F1 and wasn't able to fulfill his promise. I think his F1 chapter is closed.

Magnussen I still think is someone with lots to offer. Hope he lands another seat somewhere but it's looking unlikely.

[Vesuvius]

On his day, he is super fast. But makes stupid errors and his attitude is not good while inside the car, but out of the car he is a nice guy.

[noikeee]

Always liked him, even if he quickly became everyone's fav driver to hate. People seemed to have very quickly forgotten how quick he could be, on the basis of being in a fairly uncompetitive team and being accident prone.

Realistically though he never quite confirmed enough potential to be a candidate for a top team spot, and having been pretty much equal to Magnussen - sometimes slightly behind - the last 4 years probably ruined the careers of both of them, as it nullified the chances of either of them standing out. I don't see him getting any more F1 chances after this now. At least he's going on a relative high as he's having a quietly good season, albeit with Haas' probably least competitive car yet.

[Imperial]

I never subscribed to the whole 'Grosjean is dangerous' thing that dogged hi for a while, that whole thing was just a bad and cumulative set of unfortunate circumstances, coupled with some people pushing it as an agenda because to have a claim you first need someone to blame.

 

Conversely I also think he wouldn't have been missed had he departed from F1 many years ago.

[ensign14]

I never subscribed to the whole 'Grosjean is dangerous' thing that dogged hi for a while, that whole thing was just a bad and cumulative set of unfortunate circumstances, coupled with some people pushing it as an agenda because to have a claim you first need someone to blame.

 

Someone with so little awareness of what they were doing should have been stood down for the sake of their own health and the safety of everyone else on track. 

[balage06]

I've always been a big fan of his since his GP2 days. A very quick and agressive driver with quite a unique driving style, but unfortunately he couldn't live up to the expectations in F1. At least he got that collection of podiums from his Lotus days with a few memorable performances (for both the right and wrong reasons, obviously   ). I'm looking forward to the next chapter, it was about time to do something else.

[Sterzo]

Could the thread title be corrected, please? Grosjean has not announced his retirement.

[Peat]

Who will replace him, I wonder?

 

Schumacher & Mazepin, i heard....

 

They would be mad not to take a Hulk or a Perez though. 

Edited by Peat, 22 October 2020 - 09:05.

[statman]

Never a fan of this guy. I'm sure he's a nice guy but the moaning and complaining on the radio was ridiculous. Whenever there was a spot of rain he would be already on the radio talking about danger...

 

Not too mention all the mistakes he made.

[Cyanide]

He was hyped up during his stint with Kimi at Lotus. Those cars aided both drivers' careers, it boosted Kimi's return from a sabbatical, and gave Grosjean a second chance in the sport. Had the speed here and there, but he did muck it up a lot in the beginning and it was quite a shock to see a driver with so many mistakes to still keep his seat. 

 

Showed no promise ever since, although he is definitely a character. Wish him all the best!

[Risil]

One of the better F1 drivers never to have scored a Grand Prix victory. I always liked him, but his career post-2013 has been purgatorial.

 

Where's he going to end up? Peugeot obviously need a lot of drivers for their Le Mans hypercar team.

[noikeee]

Where's he going to end up? Peugeot obviously need a lot of drivers for their Le Mans hypercar team.

That seems like a very logical sensible guess...

[Kalmake]

One of the better F1 drivers never to have scored a Grand Prix victory. I always liked him, but his career post-2013 has been purgatorial.

 

Where's he going to end up? Peugeot obviously need a lot of drivers for their Le Mans hypercar team.

After ten years of rookie mistakes, is a he now steady pair of hands you want in endurance racing?

[Risil]

After ten years of rookie mistakes, is a he now steady pair of hands you want in endurance racing?

 

I'd give him a test!

[F1matt]

I see this as a move by Haas to reduce costs, both Grosjean and Magnusson are salaried drivers, I reckon the next two will be bringing funds. Gene wants out...

[Anja]

Such a frustrating driver to watch over the years. Can be brilliant on a good day but it's largely overshadowed (a bit unjustly so, in my opinion) by the, shall we say, less glorious moments. I was hoping for a long time he'd manage to shake off these mistakes and get more consistent with experience but it just never happened. It's a shame he never got that win in 2012-13 or maybe a lucky podium for Haas in their better seasons but that's all in the past and his time has come. 

Edited by Anja, 22 October 2020 - 09:44.

[TomNokoe]

I really hope he does join Peugeot's hypercar team, because it means I won't have to console his seat loss.

 

In this social media age, I always thought he got the short straw from fans and insiders alike. I will always cringe thinking back to that really strange scene in Drive to Survive where Guenther basically insulted him at a team dinner, although thankfully he wasn't in attendance. Perilously fast on his day. Deserved a win from his Lotus days. He was the only driver who could hold a candle to Vettel post-summer 2013.

 

Will be fondly remembered, but probably not missed. I'm slightly more perturbed about his departure than I otherwise would be, because of who his rumoured replacement is. Hey, it's only sport.

[Spillage]

It's pretty hard to say that he deserves his seat on the strength of the past few seasons, but I think he's a nice guy and for a time he looked a real prospect. I genuinely believe he would have won the 2012 European GP if his car hadn't failed him.

[Rinehart]

Prost says that 75% of being a racing driver is in the state of mind of it and I've always agreed with that. Grosjean is a case in point, certainly fast but I'm not so sure he's on the right "settings"... I've always liked him and hope he gets a ride with the Peogeout Le Mans squad, I think he can have a great sportscar career over the next decade or so. 

[Huffer]

I have mixed feelings on this - Grosjean was always a liability, despite being fairly quick with the right equipment. I always thought he had turned a corner after Spa 2012, but alas, he only went backwards. So it's probably past time for him to move on to another series, where he might find some success. With that said, I feel sort of sad that he's leaving, but I can't really say why. Very odd.

[Peat]

After ten years of rookie mistakes, is a he now steady pair of hands you want in endurance racing?

 

Every time he clatters into a GT he's trying to pass, you can be sure its always 'their fault'.

[krapmeister]

Shown flashes of speed when the stars align or he has gotten out of the right side of the bed in the morning, but personally I think he's been lucky to have had this long a F1 career.

 

Also not sure he's made *that* much money, I thought I had read that he was being paid one of the smaller driver salaries in F1? Granted he has probably earned more than most regular folk do, but in F1 terms not a whole lot. Which might help partly explain why HAAS kept him on for so long.

 

Anyway, will be interesting to see what he moves to next. Not convinced he would be the best option for a sportscar team, but I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see him behind the wheel of a French factory effort at Le Mans at some point.

[messy]

Grosjean and Magnussen were quite a good lineup in 2017 but I’m disappointed with how their partnership developed, certainly on Romain’s side. In 2017 he had the measure quite easily of Kevin - which is what you’d have expected given he was already in the team - but I didn’t see any growth from there on and I’m quite surprised really that he’s hung on there for so long. The first half of 2018 he was a mess and it’s just never quite picked up from there.

Go back 5 years and here was a 29 year old just coming off the back of a brilliant season at Lotus, ranked in the top six in just about every end of season top ten, joining a team that he thought would give him a shot at a Ferrari seat. To say it hasn’t worked out is an understatement but frankly plodding round like this in the F1 midfield for all eternity is probably less satisfying than leading Peugeot to Le Mans glory, or whatever else he could go and do now do I don’t feel sorry for him.

[alframsey]

Well I must say, I won't miss him or KMag. They both spent more time in the sport than their talent deserved. A long time coming.

[Gary Davies]

Will Buxton tweeted this: "Not a great shock, Romain’s looked increasingly like a guy who’s made peace with the end of his F1 run, but I’ll be sad to see him go. Quality racer, multiple champion on his path to the top, F1 podium finisher, and a lovely guy. Wish 

@RGrosjean all the best."

 

Says it all, really. I, too, wish him the very best away from Formula One.

[TheWilliamzer]

So it's GPDA elections time then, who will take over from Romain?

[alframsey]

Well I must say, I won't miss him or KMag. They both spent more time in the sport than their talent deserved. A long time coming.

Just to clarify, after saying this I also do wish them both the very best in whatever they do next.

[george1981]

Also not sure he's made *that* much money, I thought I had read that he was being paid one of the smaller driver salaries in F1? Granted he has probably earned more than most regular folk do, but in F1 terms not a whole lot. Which might help partly explain why HAAS kept him on for so long.

 

I suspect that is true. He was probably reasonably well paid during his Lotus days £2-3m per year at a guess. He might had had a similar wage when he first drove for Haas, as a new team they may have paid for his experience when it comes to car set ups etc. But from the third year onwards at Haas there always seemed to be rumours that he would be replaced so I guess that didn't help his negotiating position. 

He does have some personal sponsorship as well so I'm sure he won't be brassic. But he's probably funding a Monaco lifestyle for the rest of his life, and as seemed to be certain these days his children will go into Karting etc. so he'll have to have deep pockets.  

[Fastcake]

Totally erratic when he started, then had some good results thanks to a good car at Lotus - which was coupled with some abysmal driving and that race ban - seemed to settle down a bit, then spent the last couple of years going backwards at Haas. What an odd career Romain Grosjean had.

Definitely a quick guy, but one who never really put it together. At 175 races he’s had more than a fair shake at it and a longer career than many would have gave him. Grosjean isn’t getting another F1 drive now, his form is just not good enough anymore, but perhaps he can have a more successful career elsewhere. His non-F1 motorsport record is quite good.

[Laster]

I do feel Grosjean got a lot more stick than he deserved (particularly when we’d hear his radio), but he was definitely one of the more accident prone drivers too. A handful of times a season he would be blindingly quick though, he just never succeeded in delivering that consistently. He’ll be a great driver to have in another motorsport, hopefully he succeeds in winning a title or two elsewhere.

[Baddoer]

Grosjean sometimes could deliver a surpirise, yet he can come up with equal disaster.

That crash under SC in Baku was something out of this world.

Edited by Baddoer, 22 October 2020 - 12:19.

[thiscocks]

Grosjean's career in F1 is a strange one. In over his head in his early days and downright dangerous....he served his apprenticeship and ban and in the early 2010s improved a lot to a point where he almost won grands prix. Then he ended up at Haas where for the first couple of years he pretty much single-handedly kept the team in regular points positions.

 

But the last couple of seasons he's not only been tangibly slower than KMAG but his old habits have crept back. Maybe he just doesn't do well in lower midfield cars? His career will always be a case of "what if?".

 

But he's had a decade of F1, can rightly be proud of his middle years in grand prix racing...and is presumably quite wealthy. I won't especially miss him but I bet he'll pop up in years to come as "that French bloke who could have been a winner".

Hes undoubtably a quick driver (look at his results before F1) but never really seemed to shine in F1 although had some good performances. Hes had more than long enough to show what hes capable of in F1 and the last two seasons have been pretty lacklustre. What I wont miss is is constant whinging ,his general attitude and amount of stupid moves he still pulls. All this and he is the joint head of the GPDA for some reason. For these reasons I'm glad hes out, time for someone else to have a seat and hopefully do less whiging.

Edited by thiscocks, 22 October 2020 - 12:23.

[Peat]

So say, Romain was in the Mahindra FE simulator last week. 

[thiscocks]

Well I must say, I won't miss him or KMag. They both spent more time in the sport than their talent deserved. A long time coming.

I will miss Kmag more. He seems more of an 'old school' racer to me who generally says what he thinks, which is refreshing. I think he desered to stay at Haas IMO.

[jjcale]

This is what I always think of when the name Grosjean pops into my head

 

 

...still - he is one of my favourite drivers on the grid - because of his tail happy, late braking driving style ... his raw talent deserved a lot more than his mentality allowed him to achieve. 

[Kalmake]

This one for me.

 

[registered]

For me it's this one: https://youtu.be/VCSbmnojte4

[Dipster]

Always liked him, even if he quickly became everyone's fav driver to hate. People seemed to have very quickly forgotten how quick he could be, on the basis of being in a fairly uncompetitive team and being accident prone.

Realistically though he never quite confirmed enough potential to be a candidate for a top team spot, and having been pretty much equal to Magnussen - sometimes slightly behind - the last 4 years probably ruined the careers of both of them, as it nullified the chances of either of them standing out. I don't see him getting any more F1 chances after this now. At least he's going on a relative high as he's having a quietly good season, albeit with Haas' probably least competitive car yet.

 

"And being accident prone".......

 

Accidents do have causes. Either, in this case a driver error (of any car), mechanical or who knows? But I do not believe "accidents" follow certain people around waiting to pounce. There is always a reason for an accident. So perhaps he is simply not up to driving F1 as others can, or his teams fail to provide a car that holds together and is controllable. 

[William Hunt]

I'll miss him, he's always been one of my favourite F1 drivers. I like his personality and he's highly intelligent. He's also one of the most underrated and quickest drivers in F1 and has been unfairly bashed by many here. At the time he drove for Lotus in F1 he also looked on the verge of winning his first GP, looking back it's unbelievable that someone with his talent never won one.

Edited by William Hunt, 23 October 2020 - 12:09.