Romain Grosjean believes Haas actually wanted 36-year-old driver instead of him in 2016

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Romain Grosjean has admitted that he thinks Haas actually wanted to hire German driver Nico Hulkenberg instead of him when the team first entered Formula 1.

Grosjean was speaking to Formula 1’s official website and reflecting on his time in the sport.

Starting a new team in F1 is a huge undertaking and involves years of intricate planning.

The grid has been limited to 10 outfits for some time now, although Andretti are trying to join the paddock.

Even if every current team agrees that they should be allowed into Formula 1, it will likely be years before their first car takes to the track.

They may be looking to Haas for some inspiration on how to set up a new team as when they descended on the grid in 2016, they hit the ground running.

At their first-ever race, they qualified 19^th and 20^th and although Esteban Gutierrez retired, they scored eight points through Romain Grosjean.

The Frenchman and his team were absolutely delighted with the result and Haas went on to finish eighth in the Constructors’ Championship.

However, if Haas had got their way, it wouldn’t have been Grosjean scoring those points but Nico Hulkenberg.

The 36-year-old German eventually ended up at Haas, but it took a few years longer than they would have expected.

He’s been confirmed for 2024, but after their dismal showing last year, they might be considering a complete change in their driver line-up if things don’t improve.

Grosjean admits Haas wanted Hulkenberg instead of him

Asked about joining Haas, Grosjean said: “I don’t think I was the number one choice.

“I think they wanted [Nico] Hulkenberg, but he said no. They came to me, I called them, had a long chat with Guenther [Steiner].

“He explained what it was all about and the contract negotiations went super-fast. I really liked the idea, and the start of 2016 proved me right.”

At the time while Grosjean and Haas were competing towards the back of the grid, Hulkenberg was scoring regular points with Force India.

He was outscored by teammate Sergio Perez who recorded two podiums that season, a feat that still alludes Hulkenberg.

The 36-year-old will know he probably hasn’t got too long left in Formula 1 and will hope that Haas suddenly discover a couple of second of pace over the winter.

Otherwise, he’ll continue extending his record of most Grand Prix raced without finishing in the top three.