Romain Grosjean expressed his respect and liking for 7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and is a fan of his driving style.
Lewis Hamilton has been racing in F1 since 2007. He joined the grid with McLaren and grabbed a podium on his debut race in the 2007 Australian GP. In fact, he finished runner-up in the 2007 Drivers’ Championship to Kimi Räikkönen by one point.
But Hamilton claimed the title the following year and has since won 7 F1 championships. And the Brit has topped all the record charts across his 15 years in F1.
He is the first and, as of 2021, the only black driver to race in the series. Being more than just a driver, Lewis has been respected for his off-track activities too. He is a voice for inclusivity, diversity and anti-discrimination in the sport.
And former F1 driver Romain Grosjean is an admirer of Lewis too. In a recent QnA video posted on his Youtube channel, the Frenchman shared his thoughts about Lewis.
He said, “Well yes. I have huge respect for him. He is one of the best drivers, a 7-time World Champion.” Lewis and Romain shared the F1 grid together for a decade.
Lewis struggled at the start of the 2022 season with severe porpoising. But he and Mercedes have managed to fix it. Romain adds, “In 2022 he did struggle a bit more earlier in the year with bouncing.”
Since then Lewis has grabbed 3 consecutive podium finishes. He stands 5th in the 2022 Drivers Standings after the Austrian GP.
Romain concludes with, “I don’t know Lewis outside the racetrack. I have never met him whatsoever. But while racing, I have huge respect. I love the way he drives and gives his everything all the time, in a good way.”
Romain Grosjean to test Lewis Hamilton’s car
Grosjean was promised a test drive with the W10 by Mercedes F1 Team Principal & CEO, Toto Wolff. He would get to drive Lewis Hamilton’s 2020 championship-winning car.
Grosjean had an unfortunate early retirement from F1. While driving for Haas in the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, Grosjean suffered a horrific crash on the first lap.
His Haas VF-20 hit a barrier at high speed, splitting the car in half. Due to a fuel leak, the car caught fire. Romain miraculously escaped the crash with burn injuries. Grosjean ultimately missed the final 2 races of the season.
His contract with Haas was not renewed and thus did not get a bidding farewell from the sport. But Mercedes decide to give the Frenchman a farewell.
This was scheduled to happen ahead of the 2021 French GP. Unfortunately, due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic-related travel restrictions, it was delayed. The test was called off and is yet to be decided.
Grosjean too could not commit his date due to his schedule. The Frenchman currently races in Indycar in the USA with Andretti Autosport.
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