The Lotus driver will make his final appearance for the team in Sunday’s Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix before he moves to new American team Haas F1 for 2016. He told Graham Caygill yesterday about the change and hoping to sign off in style.
Emotions
Of his feelings on departing the only F1 race he has raced for so far in his career, he said: “Right now I am happy more than anything else, but on Sunday night of course it will be a different story. A lot of different emotions. I have learned a lot here, 83 grand prix together, and it has helped me be ready for the next step, which is Haas, and I am ready for a new challenge.”
Expectations
Grosjean finished fourth in the 2013 race at Yas Marina Circuit, but is not expecting a repeat result on Sunday. “It maybe a little difficult as there are a few slow speed corners, but all we can do is our best, try and work hard on the car,” he said.
Top 10
Grosjean is currently in 11th in the drivers’ standings on 49 points, trailing 10th-place Nico Hulkenberg by three points, while he is level on points with Max Verstappen. Of how important coming out on top in that mini-battle is, the 30 year old said: “It does matter to me as I would like to finish in the top 10. They have a better car than I do, but who know, I will do my best and see what happens.”
READ MORE
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2015 – F1 weekend live blog
By The Numbers: the 2015 Formula One season
Haas Racing
As to what he hopes to achieve with Haas, the Frenchman said he hopes they can eventually fight for podium finishes. “How long it is going to take I have no idea,” he said. “One year? Two years? Three years? Never? I don’t know, but I think the first aim is to get there and have good races and score points.”
Great heights
Grosjean made headlines in 2013 when he climbed to the top of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. “It was a bad idea,” he jokes of the experience. “No, it was unbelievable. If you tell me lets go I would again now. It is hard work, an hour and a half of climbing, but when you get to the top of the tower, wow.”
gcaygill@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
RESULT
Norway 1 Spain 1
Norway: King (90 4')
Spain: Niguez (47')
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Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The burning issue
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TOP 5 DRIVERS 2019
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 10 wins 387 points
2 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 4 wins, 314 points
3 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 3 wins, 260 points
4 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2 wins, 249 points
5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1 win, 230 points
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Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
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Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
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Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)
Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)
Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)
Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)
Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)
Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)
Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)
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Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
