A VETERAN of 179 Formula One starts, Romain Grosjean was back in class on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) passing his Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program (ROP), setting the 35-year-old Frenchman up for a shot at qualifying for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” next May.
Grosjean, who made the jump to IndyCar this year, had told his family he would not race on the more dangerous ovals after a fiery crash in Bahrain that ended his F1 career.
But after an impressive first season with Dale Coyne Racing, Grosjean last month made the move to IndyCar powerhouse Andretti Autosport with the goal of winning the driver’s title which would mean driving ovals.
“You can’t go in the top ten if you are not doing all races. They do want me fighting for championships, they want me at the front, and I feel comfortable with my decision,” said Grosjean. “You need to respect ovals a lot.
“It doesn’t feel fast when everything goes well but for sure if you start losing the rear end you know the wall is there.
“I feel like my level of happiness through my professional life, being able to share that with my family is the risk that we take.”
Grosjean’s rookie IndyCar campaign produced three podium finishes, two on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) road course, and one pole.
He also dipped his toe in the oval waters running at Gateway Grand Prix placing 14th.
IMS, however, is a completely different beast: a massive 2.5-mile (4km) oval that has frightened off many top drivers. — Reuters
