Series interview with Champion Grosjean

Grosjean: "Now my aim is Formula One"

"I'm really happy for both me and DAMS. Winning the title after entering the championship only from the third event was something that I wasn't thinking about at the beginning, I didn't even think it was possible. Anyway I made it, and this is also the best way to say thanks to DAMS: they gave me the chance to race with single seaters, which is what I love the most, and from then on a lot of good things happened, ending a not easy period of my career. Now I hope that the tracks for my future will keep going this good way".

This were Romain Grosjean's first words on the podium, just after being crowned Auto GP champion. Then, some hours later, we took some minutes with the French driver speaking about the season: " I started speaking about Auto GP with DAMS in May, at the Barcelona GP2 race. Then we spoke about it again in Spa, when I was there for the 24 hours. At that time I was racing in Fia GT which was a good opportunity, especially considering that at the start of the season we got some great results. Anyway driving single-seaters is what I really love, so when DAMS gave me the chance to do it for me it was an easy decision. At the beginning the agreement was just for Spa, but I had immediately the right feeling with the team, we won the race and grabbed really a lot of points so we realized that going until the end was the best thing to do".

From then your year took a sudden turn: DAMS picked you to race in GP2 and Pirelli chose you to test their F.1 tyres. What role did Auto GP play in this in your opinion?

"It was the key point. DAMS called me back to GP2 because they saw how good was the job that we were doing in Auto GP and how easily the results were coming. They didn't know exactly where they were with the GP2 car and they thought that I could help. Actually it worked, and from then on things changed for me. So there's no doubt, Auto GP is what took me back to single-seaters and GP2".

What do you expect from the future and what would you like to do?

"I don't know what to expect really, it's just a bit early for that. What I'd like to do, obviously, is getting another chance in F1, and not just to be there, a real chance in a proper seat. If not, a season in GP2 is a good plan, also considering that in 2009 I left the championship half-way because of the opportunity I had with Renault F1. I was fighting for the title then, maybe I can get another shot at it".

Do you think that Auto GP can be a good learning tool for GP2?

"Considering the fact that the new GP2 car doesn't have ground effect, I think that looking to performance and power the Auto GP car is the closest one to GP2. So yes, it can be a good school".

-source: autogp