Romain Grosjean’s success story has played out on the Formula 1 circuit over the course of several seasons, and the young driver continues this year with his the foot on the gas. The outstanding performance of Haas F1 Team’s VF-16 and the talent of its driver have enabled the edgling team to rack up 18 points in merely two races.

Building on a strong foundation and seniority in motorsport generally, Haas has made a sensational debut in the supreme motorsport discipline. Racing in a new category involved considerable challenges for the American team, but thanks to the expertise of driver Romain Grosjean, this season already smacks of victory, all the more glorious when one considers how complex is the task confronting a young F1 team. They must learn the ropes and score points, whilst simultaneously developing and ne-tuning their car.

After a 6th place nish in the Australian Grand Prix at the end of March despite starting in 19th position on the grid, Romain nished 5th this weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix, turning in a perfect race from his 9th place start. The 18 points, garnered in only two GPs, place the French driver 5th in the drivers’ ranking. This is the best start to a season of Romain Grosjean’s career. Moreover, his performance in Bahrain earned the young man a title of «driver of the day,» voted by Internet users on the of cial website of the International Automobile Federation (FIA).

Romain, however, remains realistic: «Lots of things are going on, and there are so many areas where we can improve,”.he says, speaking with the voice of experience. “It’s crazy, and it’s great! We’ve had two incredible races but we need to keep our feet on the ground. There is still a great deal of work to be done.»

At Haas F1 Team, the goals have shifted somewhat. The car having proven itself able to face off against the strongest teams, team manager Guenther Steiner is expecting more now: «Of course our ambitions are higher after Melbourne and Sakhir. At the moment, of course, nishing 5th in each race would be asking too much! I think we can win points in each race though. That’s our goal. I don’t know if we will achieve it, but we now know that the car can do it.»

The next race will take place April 15th through the 17th, in Shanghai, where Romain Grosjean and Haas F1 Team will attempt to continue ful lling the American dream. Richard Mille will be represented as well, on Romain’s wrist, where he wears the new RM 011 in red TPT® Quartz.

Photos © Haas F1 Team