Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Romain Grosjean, Sergio Perez and More
Romain Grosjean rejected the chance to represent Renault in the 2016 Formula One season after deciding to join the brand-new Haas team.
His switch to the American outfit is supposedly the Frenchman's first step toward a future Ferrari drive, but he has not closed the door on a possible return to the team with whom he made his grand prix debut in 2009.
Grosjean has revealed just how much the Enstone-based team means to him, and why he would be willing to go back home when Renault are in a position to win races and championships.
While Grosjean has a deep affiliation with Team Enstone, sentiment only stretches so far in the mind of Sergio Perez.
The Mexican has already driven for three teams in his five seasons in F1 and, having restored his reputation, is prepared to leave Force India to pursue his goal of winning the world championship.
As Perez aims for bigger and better things, one of his former employers is down in the dumps after a hugely damaging 2015.
Although McLaren-Honda are seemingly on course to enjoy a much better season in 2016, one of their former drivers has urged the team to focus solely on 2017 ahead of the major regulation changes.
Like McLaren, Red Bull Racing also suffered a forgettable 2015 campaign, but Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg believes the four-time world champions could challenge for the 2016 title.
Closing this week's roundup is Roberto Merhi, who has revealed his rather modest target for 2016 after spending last season at Manor.
Romain Grosjean Keen to Return to Renault in Future
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Romain Grosjean may have only just arrived at Haas, but he has already expressed his desire to return to Team Enstone in the coming years.
After spending four full seasons at Lotus, where he claimed a total of 10 podium finishes, Grosjean will drive for the brand-new Haas team for 2016.
The American outfit's close technical partnership with Ferrari, the most successful team in F1 history, is likely to make Grosjean a leading contender to partner four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel in 2017, but the Frenchman has not ruled out eventually returning to the place where he made his name.
Soon after his move to Haas was confirmed, French manufacturer Renault purchased the Enstone-based Lotus team, after signing Grosjean as a test driver in 2008 and offering him a grand prix debut in mid-2009.
Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn recently told French newspaper Le Figaro (h/t Motorsport.com) that it will take three years for the team to challenge for race victories and world championships, and Grosjean has hinted he may be waiting for them once the restructuring process is complete.
The 29-year-old told Autosport's Lawrence Barretto:
"Enstone is a big chapter of my life.
The people there are friends and family and I know every corner of the factory.
Some years, I was even there for Christmas. When I lived in the UK, I went there on December 24 with my brother-in-law.
It was hard to leave but we won't be too far down the paddock.
And who knows? Maybe in three or four years' time, they produce a world championship winning car and they call me and say let's win together.
That would be ideal. As a Frenchman that would be huge.
"
2016 will mark a decade since Renault's most recent championship triumph with Fernando Alonso, and Grosjean has told the same source there is no reason why the team will not return to those heights, adding: "There is a lot of potential in Enstone."
Sergio Perez Willing to Leave Force India in Search for Success
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Sergio Perez has admitted he would be prepared to leave Force India to fight for grand prix victories and world championships, despite his damaging experience at McLaren.
After claiming three podium finishes for Sauber in 2012, Perez was offered the opportunity to replace Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in 2013, when a dream move quickly became the stuff of nightmares.
An inconsistent campaign saw the Mexican dropped in favour of rookie Kevin Magnussen for 2014, and Perez was left to rebuild his career at Force India.
In just his third appearance for the Silverstone-based team, he claimed third place in Bahrain and took another podium in last season's Russian Grand Prix, restoring his reputation in the process.
After the Sochi race, deputy team principal Bob Fernley told Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble how Perez's upturn in form was down to the confidence and comfort he has found in a "team environment," adding that the move to McLaren "came a bit too early" for the Mexican.
But after the most impressive season of his career to date, the 25-year-old has hinted he would be willing to throw himself back into the deep end if it meant he would stand a chance of becoming world champion, telling Motorsport.com's Adam Cooper:
"It's good to get some time off to reflect on what I have done, and what I can do better for next year. I keep developing as a racing driver.
I am still young, I have hopefully a long career ahead of me, and I'm facing a very important year in my career that hopefully can put me in a great position for the future.
It will be great if we can become a top team and suddenly we are fighting for world championships and for victories—then it will be great place to stay.
I always say that I'm very thankful for the team, for what they've done for me.
That would be fantastic to move up the grid [together], but if another opportunity comes in the future, it wouldn't be that bad as well.
"
In September, Perez—once a member of Ferrari's young-driver scheme—signed a new contract to remain at Force India until the end of the upcoming season, with an option for 2017.
Soon after the announcement of his new deal, he told ESPN F1 how he held discussions with Renault about replacing Romain Grosjean for 2016, referring to the Enstone-based outfit as a "serious option."
Pedro De La Rosa Urges McLaren-Honda to Focus on 2017
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Pedro de la Rosa, the former grand prix driver, has advised McLaren-Honda to focus on returning to winning ways in 2017, admitting that the 2016 season could be another write-off for the team.
Having failed to win a world championship of any kind since 2008, McLaren endured their worst season in 35 years in 2015, scoring just 27 points and finishing second-bottom in the constructors' championship as the team suffered numerous problems with their Honda V6 turbo power unit.
McLaren are intending to bounce back next year, with Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble claiming the new chassis has produced "encouraging figures" in the wind tunnel, with Honda expecting to make "a significant step forward" with its engine.
De la Rosa is a McLaren stalwart, having spent several seasons in a test-driver role and claimed his only F1 podium finish behind the wheel of the MP4-21 at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix, and believes the team are on course for a much better year in 2016.
But the Spaniard—who has criticised Honda's rushed, stubborn approach to its return to F1—has urged the team to pin their hopes on the major technical regulations planned for 2017, telling Spanish newspaper As (h/t F1i.com):
"Be regularly in Q3 and score a podium finish. They could lay the foundations for gunning for the 2017 world title.
However, it must be clear that fighting for the championship will take place in 2017, not in 2016. Therefore, they should know to focus on their 2017 car-engine package from the very start of the 2016 campaign. ...
Never would I have thought that they could experience a year like that. But with hindsight, this is what happens when an engine constructor is in a hurry, decides to be based in Japan, far from his English team, and does not poach top engineers from other manufacturers who are familiar with the new hybrid turbo engines. This just makes the learning period much longer.
"
De la Rosa has also rejected the notion that Fernando Alonso, the two-time world champion, may yet decide to sit out the 2016 campaign if McLaren are unable to produce a competitive car.
The 44-year-old, who has worked alongside Alonso at McLaren and Ferrari, told the same source: "He is still too talented and hungry to do so. From experience, a driver never speaks of taking a sabbatical. What’s more, the more difficult the project is, the more motivated Fernando will be. He is a fighter."
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Mercedes' Nico Rosberg Wary of Red Bull Threat in 2016
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Nico Rosberg believes it would be foolish to underestimate Red Bull Racing ahead of the 2016 season, despite the team's struggles in the V6 turbo era.
After winning four consecutive world championships with Sebastian Vettel between 2010 and 2013, Red Bull have been restricted to just three grand prix wins since the beginning of 2014.
In the midst of their first winless season since 2008, Red Bull tried to sever their unhealthy relationship with technical supplier Renault—which has struggled to master the hybrid technology—in late 2015 but will continue to run the French manufacturer's engines, albeit under the name of TAG Heuer, this year.
Adrian Newey, the Red Bull technical boss, recently told Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble how the team's engine-related dramas have left them expecting "an extremely difficult season."
But Rosberg has insisted Red Bull, along with a resurgent Ferrari, will be among Mercedes' biggest threats in 2016, telling Motorsport-Magazin.com (h/t Crash.net):
"You always have to reckon with Red Bull. They are a very strong team. Up to one and a half years ago, they were absolutely dominant, simply unbeatable. They could always make a comeback, so we have to keep an eye on them. ...
We definitely see Ferrari as a threat. They've been making great progress and will be very strong next season.
They beat us at Sepang and have been competitive ever since.
But we have consistently been getting better [too]. I'm pleased about that—our team has had a really good development rate.
"
Between them, Rosberg and team-mate Lewis Hamilton have won 32 of the last 38 races, with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel the only other drivers to stand on the top step of a podium since the beginning of 2014.
Roberto Merhi Looking for Paid Work in F1 or Elsewhere for 2016
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Roberto Merhi has revealed his only target for 2016 is to find paid work in motorsport, either in Formula One or other categories, after spending the 2015 season at Manor.
The Spaniard made 11 consecutive grand prix appearances for Manor last year after agreeing to race for free, according to Motorsport.com's Pablo Elizalde, before being dropped in favour of Alexander Rossi for five of the final seven races.
While Rossi and fellow team-mate Will Stevens remain in contention to stay with Manor for 2016, Merhi—who also competed in Formula Renault 3.5 for much of last season—appears to be actively exploring other options.
The 24-year-old competed in DTM, the German touring-car series, between 2012 and '13 but is determined to establish a career in single-seater cars, telling Elizalde:
"The target now is to be a professional racing driver and race in something where you can stay and without worrying if next race I'll be in the car or not. That's the target.
I think the year went well and I would love to continue after the results I had in the past and now. I think I belong in single-seaters and not in something with a roof.
My target is to continue with single-seaters.
I'm trying to see what we can do for next year. At the moment we are looking at some options. In Formula 1 there are a few options and outside there are a few options. It's quite hard out there.
"
Per the same source, the former Caterham test driver has ruled out a switch to the all-electric Formula E category, dismissing the cars as "too slow," and no longer regards the Japanese Super Formula series as "attractive" as it once was.
Merhi, however, may yet follow in the footsteps of another former Manor driver, Max Chilton, by switching to American open-wheel racing, admitting he would be interested in a move to IndyCar.
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