F1
Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor 6y

Romain Grosjean believes he can have long-term future in F1

Formula 1

Romain Grosjean is confident he still has the potential to stay in F1 for several years to come and is hopeful he will one day get an opportunity to win races before he retires.

The Haas driver is out of contract at the end of this year and his position at the team for 2019 has been questioned after a series of errors in the first half of the season. But Grosjean hopes Haas will see beyond the mistakes and look at the wider picture of what he contributes to the team.

"It hasn't been a great half of the season, but it is not all about what happened in those races," he said. "Obviously I want to be able to go back to being able to score points reasonably and not having any trouble, which I know I can. If the car is where it is today it is not by miracle, so it's a wider picture."

Grosjean admits a drive with one of F1's top teams is unlikely, but he is hopeful a rule change in 2021 will mean smaller outfits like Haas can pick up victories in the future.

"I'm not too unhappy with my career so far and I still believe I can be in Formula One for quite a bit of time. I don't feel old and who knows what is happening in 2021 -- no one wants to sign contracts beyond the end of 2020 right now. Let's see what Formula One becomes like and if there is a chance or whatever. Right now I am in a good team, I am very proud of what we have been doing over the past two and half years and I think we have got some more business to do together."

Grosjean has had an unusual career in F1 after his first big chance with Renault only lasted half a season in 2009. He returned with Lotus in 2012 at the age of 27 and believes that his later start to his career has extended the potential length of his time in F1 .

"I started at 27, so I started much later than everyone else," the 32-year-old said. "If you start at 18 and you go to 38 years old then you go for 20 years with 21 grands prix a season, that's 420 grands prix. If you start at 27 and you go to 37 or 38 then that is only ten or 11 years of career.

"At the end it is not a crazy amount compared to drivers who are 18 and then retiring at 28, sure that would be young to retire, but for me it's just that I got my first chance when I was 23, I got thrown under the bus and then I came back. It just took a bit of time."

Haas is due to start its 2019 driver selection process after F1's summer break.

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