- Lotus
Leaving struggling Lotus would have felt wrong- Grosjean
After confirming a deal to stay at Lotus in 2015, Romain Grosjean said it would have felt wrong to leave the team at a time when it is struggling.
Grosjean has raced for Lotus since 2012 and after a shaky start established himself with six podiums in 2013. This season has yielded just eight points in 18 races after the team struggled to adapt to changes to the regulations over the winter, but he said it would have felt wrong to leave the team on a low.
"I think we make a great combination," he said. "We've been working together for a long time now and I certainly didn't want to leave on a performance low like we've seen in 2014 as we've enjoyed some beautiful moments together.
"It would have just felt wrong to say goodbye in a tough patch like we have had in 2014, because I know what everyone at Enstone is capable of. Moments like this can either make you stronger or destroy you and I'm sure that the team is only going to learn from what has been a hard year."
Grosjean is confident Lotus will be stronger in 2015 when it swaps its temperamental Renault power units for Mercedes next season.
"It's easier to say than to do, but I firmly believe that you always learn much more from difficult rather than easy situations. Not only has the team learnt an enormous amount this season, but I think I've also improved massively. Two years ago I'd probably have dealt with this situation completely differently but I've managed to stay composed. I'm looking forward to seeing us work hard and develop during the winter. We all now have a much clearer picture of what we are focusing on and avoiding in terms of plans for the E23.
"We've been working on it for quite some time and things seem positive, so I really hope when I get in the car at pre-season testing I get that special feeling when you know it's going to be a good season. I'm not saying we will be back at our 2013 levels when we were extraordinarily good for the size of our budget that we had. Personally, I am hoping we can challenge the front runners, score a few podiums and points and get back into the top five in the constructors' championship and I want to taste champagne with the team again!"
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