Romain Grosjean says current F1 cars require new driving style
Romain Grosjean says he is approaching the 2015 season with a revamped driving style to help boost his form, as Lotus also reshuffles his engineering team
Eager to put the disappointment of a troubled 2014 campaign behind them, Lotus has appointed Julien Simon-Chautemps as Grosjean's new race engineer this season.
Simon-Chautemps worked with Pastor Maldonado last season and has previously been Kimi Raikkonen's performance engineer.
Grosjean hopes that lessons learned from having to change his driving style for the new generation of turbo cars will be a boost alongside the change of engineer.
"The car and the regulations, a little bit, haven't suited my driving style," Grosjean told AUTOSPORT.
"I had to change it at first to get on top of it, and the car was unpredictable when you drive it.
"I like to understand everything about the braking, turning and exit and then the next lap analyse and improve.
"Last year, one lap you got oversteer, lap two it's understeer and then maybe the next lap it's going to be good.
"You can't understand and analyse things, so you just have to go with the feeling, which Pastor did pretty well.
"So I have been improving myself in that aspect and I had to try different driving skills.
"As a driver, purely driving, I think I am able to do more things, but it didn't reflect in the results."
Grosjean added that his default style is to try and get onto the throttle as soon as possible after turn in.
But the reduction in rear downforce for the post-exhaust blowing era meant that the cars did not react well to this.
"I like to go very early on the throttle, but this year it wasn't possible," he said.
"I had a little less feeling in the front end and I like to brake late and turn late, but this year it didn't work.
"It [exhaust blowing] would have made me more confident and I could push more, but things change.
"There were no blown exhausts in GP2 and they go quick, so I'm not worried.
"Once everything works consistently and everything is stable, I will produce quick lap times.
"That's something I have learned to do [in 2014] and will help for the future."
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