Grosjean targets points in Singapore after Monza mishap

Being taken out from behind was not something Romain Grosjean enjoyed in Monza, so he heads to Singapore hopeful of a clean race to the chequered flag.

How much do you enjoy the challenge of Marina Bay?

The track is really impressive with some technical parts and some classic street circuit ‘ninety degree’ turns. There are a few decent straights but it is mainly busy, busy, busy for us, with corner after corner. Going over landmarks like the (Anderson) Bridge and down the Raffles Boulevard make for a fantastic sight from both the cockpit and also for the TV viewers. This year will be interesting with the E23 as it is a car that does inspire confidence, and confidence is king when you’re on a street course. The biggest challenge will be if it’s wet at any time – then we really have to work hard!

Any special preparations for the physical demands?

The key elements are sleep and hydration. It’s a humid heat so you sweat a lot – even walking into the track. Keeping hydrated is very important. It’s a race where we run unusual timings relative to the local day. Once you get used to waking up in the afternoon and then going to bed early morning, then it gets to be just routine. It’s no secret that I love my sleep so one of the most important aspects of preparation for me is ensuring that my room stays dark in the morning when we’re still sleeping due to the timings we run. I hope the hotel has good blackout curtains! If it doesn’t then it’s not unknown for me to tape black rubbish bags to the windows to keep the light out and guarantee my sleep!

What about the atmosphere of Singapore on Grand Prix weekend?

I really love racing at this track and in fact I love the country as a whole. The Singapore people are very friendly and it is nice to see so many coming downtown to the race. It has a completely unique vibe for the Grand Prix weekend and it takes on an ambience like nowhere else we go to.

Will you be sampling any street-food?

I love the mix of cuisine you find in Singapore. For what is a relatively small place there is such an amazing fusion of cultures and this means there’s a really diverse mix of foods. You can get some really interesting dishes from the street vendors and there are some world class restaurants in town too.

What memories stand out for you at Marina Bay?

Qualifying in third place in 2013 was nice, but then I had to retire, so the memory is a little mixed. Actually, it is still a good memory to have such a strong qualifying because I think that at a street circuit like Marina Bay, a driver always makes that little bit of difference to the ultimate lap time, a little more so than permanent tracks. In 2012 I got points for seventh place, after some good battles. So I have some nice recollections of racing here.

What were you able to take from Monza?

Once again we all saw what a tremendously strong and resourceful squad Lotus F1 Team is as everyone rallied round and overcame the difficulties put in our path. Everyone worked really hard. We started in the top ten but then another driver’s optimism at the first corner of all places meant the rear suspension of my car was damaged. That was it, race over. I was pretty gutted, but we carry on and Singapore’s our next opportunity for points.

Can you see Singapore offering a better chance of a result?

Even though we haven’t been able to throw upgrades at the car like other teams can do, the E23 is a pretty balanced car in its qualities; it seems to go well everywhere. This means we go in with the opportunity of scoring points at tracks with very different characteristics. Every time I get in the car I think ‘let’s see what she can do’, so I’m positive heading to Singapore, Suzuka and all the rest of the circuits ahead.