Romain Grosjean has explained that the mistakes he made during the 2012 F1 season stemmed from wanting to win races on his return to the top flight.
Having battled his way back from the disastrous part season he endured with the Renault team in 2009, the Frenchman returned to a plum ride with the renamed Lotus squad, but the potential it showed only helped fuel the desire he had to stand on the top step of the podium.
“I wanted to get that first win at all costs and I made beginner's mistakes by wanting to go too fast at times,” he conceded to France's Sport24 website, “These are things that I will not repeat.
“It was my first full year and, if someone had told me that I'd finish eighth in the standings, with three podiums, I would have signed immediately. There are some very good [memories], some very bad, but I'm trying to keep positive.”
Surprisingly, the Belgian Grand Prix pile-up at La Source is not the biggest regret of Grosjean's season, the French youngster preferring to single out an error he made after being made to sit out the ensuing Italian round.
“Honestly, I think the Japanese Grand Prix [is the worst memory],” he insisted, “For me, this was my biggest mistake at the start. This is 100 per cent my fault and I accept it completely. This is a lesson for the rest of my career.
On the positive side, there were many times that Grosjean says he will recall with pleasure.
“It was a long season, with 20 grands prix, but inevitably I remember my first podium in Bahrain and the second place in Canada, but also qualifying in Melbourne, when my engineer told me that I was third on the grid,” he smiled, “These are times deeper than I remember.”
Admitting that the year was harder than even he could have imagined, the 2011 GP2 Series champion can point to several areas in which he has made progress over the season.
“Frankly, in many areas,” he admitted, “In the mind, the management of the season, fatigue, the settings of the car. I had to adapt to many things.
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