Oilpressure

The other day, I mentioned that “…there is still a good chance that Romain Grosjean will end up returning to the No. 77 at Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) – possibly with Conor Daly as a teammate”. While that possibility has not been totally taken off the table, Grosjean himself threw some serious doubt on that outcome, as was chronicled in an article by Marshall Pruett on Racer.com this past Monday.

In the article, he cited that he felt he had probably one of his best seasons – yet he is unable to find budget to solidify his ride for next season. It was undoubtedly the most competitive season for JHR, as he had six Top-Ten finishes and really brought the team to a new level in qualifying. He has made it clear he would like to return. I am assuming with those improvements he cited, the team would like for him to return – but I can’t say that for certain. I, personally, really like Grosjean; but I’m not sure he is the easiest driver to work with in the paddock.

One thing that stood out in the article was Grosjean’s pointed comments toward IndyCar marketing. According to Grosjean, who used the term “horrendous” (his words, not mine) to describe IndyCar’s marketing efforts, he has been trying to utilize his own networking skills to help find budget for the small-budget team. I think Brad Hollinger has finally reached the point where he is tired of pouring his own money into the team. At some point, a sponsor needs to carry the load. But the insinuation from Grosjean is that it is tough to convince sponsors that IndyCar is a good investment.

Grosjean didn’t stop with IndyCar marketing. He noted that the hybrid system that was introduced halfway through this past season is something that has driven costs “…to a level that is unbearable for teams”.

I can appreciate Grosjean’s frankness. He may be rocking the boat and not following the preferred narrative, but I think most in the paddock would tell you he is not wrong.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve come to appreciate the IndyCar-related videos that come from David Land. He provides a reasonable, but somewhat unfiltered approach to various issues going on within the series. He brings to a video podcast, what I try to bring to print. He seems to be able to think on his feet more than I can. I hit the backspace button way too much trying to get my thoughts in order. He seems to do it on the fly. That’s why I could never do video on a regular basis. I’ve gotten to know David personally over the last couple of years [name-drop warning], even though I’m more than twice his age – and I’ve become a fan of his You Tube channel.

He posted a video Monday, shortly after the Pruett article hit. Not only should you read Pruett’s article, but I would recommend taking the nineteen minutes or so to watch the David Land video for his perspective. I will disagree with him on one point – he does not think Grosjean will be in IndyCar in 2025. He thinks he will drive exclusively for Lamborghini in sports cars. I think he will find a way to be in IndyCar for 2025.

If David is right and I’m wrong, it’s a shame that a driver known throughout the world, can’t raise the money to fund his IndyCar career. As I noted a week or so ago, the ride-buyers serve a purpose in this series, but when a ten-year veteran of Formula One, with four seasons of IndyCar under his belt can’t get his network to invest in IndyCar – maybe something needs to be tweaked.

George Phillips

This entry was posted on November 13, 2024 at 4:02 am and is filed under IndyCar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.