Grosjean to IndyCar with Dale Coyne. No ovals though . . . .

F-1 drivers have a fairly dim view of Indy Cars on ovals especially after seeing what happened
to Weldon, Wickens and Dixon recently.

Can't say they're wrong given that these incidents look more like air crashes than cars and
the drivers are merely passengers.

BHW

 

But don't forget that in his championship year, Nigel Mansell actually did better on the ovals than he did on road courses. And as far as accidents, don't forget Jeff Krosnoff at Toronto.

 

Well, we could delve even deeper than the 1996 CART race at Toronto, a track which virtually lends
itself to incidents such as the one between Krosnoff and Johansson that killed Krosnoff and a course
marshal who was sitting on the retaining wall (but) that happened before a lot of these current F-1 drivers were born.

When F-1 drivers look at the high speed ovals, Indy, Michigan, Pocono, et.al. with speeds getting
into the 240+MPH area and a concrete wall topped with catch fencing supported by phone poles
inches away, they've got a fair point.

Mansell with balls and ego beyond normal human beings was certainly pissed when he ended
up underneath Dennis Vitolo's car at Indy in 1994. Likewise, in 1993, he was injured in a fiery
practice shunt at Phoenix and didn't hang around CART very much longer and he shuffled
back to F-1 after wearing out his welcome in the U.S.

BHW

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Romain is in the US now and has had his seat fitting at Coyne, testing in the next few days. He will love it: the car and the friendly atmosphere. Also at Haas he got used to the American way already.

By the way something I have been meaning to say: his old nickname lettuce is actually invalid, because Romain the person name is pronounced Romain-H (hard stop) in French whereas the salad; Romaine has an e at the end and is pronounced very differently Romain-eeeeuh.

There is a better nickname, brand new consequent to his slight err...mishap in Bahrein and he finds it amusing too: the Phoenix!

By the way he says ever since everybody saw the accident he can't go shopping anymore in Europe without little old ladies saying you are the one who came out of the fire!

He also mentioned negative comments have gone down by a huge percentage and his IG has gained a big percentage of new followers.

People tend to forget that while he has had his bad days (!) he should, apart of his podiums, have won at least two GP's Valencia when the car broke down and he was way ahead and at the Nurburgring when he was catching Vettel's Red Bull for the lead but a safety car period ruined everything. He is seriously quick and at least as fast as Bourdais and Pagenaud so once he gets up to speed it'll be very interesting

Go Phoenix!

 

I’ll stick with Lettuce

 

I'm tired of Indy cars being the retirement home for F1 drivers who can no longer cut the mustard. We need NEW blood from North America.

 

Apart of Newgarden, Colton Herta and Rossi (who also found himself without an F1 seat which, like Romain does not mean he could not cut the mustard) and Hunter Ray, not much on the horizon but too many young US drivers want to go roundy round in those huge sedans...

 

I remember that was the reason behind the launch of the IRL by Tony George, back in 1994.

What happened to that idea ?

 

The laws of nature...natural selection...cream rising to the top.....always prevail.

Sometimes it takes more or less time than others....but it always does.

Now if Rogere can fix it (get rid of these silly spec cars)..... But I fear he doesn't have the time left in him.....

(BTW, I thought it was 1996.....? http://www.champcarstats.com/Year.htm)

 

His very first test day taking place today at Barber in Alabama: curious to read his comments later.

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

He had a good first ever day in an Indycar, 80 laps, was just a tenth off his far more experience teammate, within a second of the fastest of the day, Veekay.

Here he explains the differences with F1 and his feelings afterwards.

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

Didna' expect less (depending on what was put under him).

Go Romain. (let's forego the crashing this time around, shall we?)