Grosjean 'quite confident' of F1 stay, but considering options

Romain Grosjean feels "quite confident" about staying on the Formula 1 grid for the 2020 season, but is open to options in other racing series should he lose his seat.

The driver market dominoes were set off on Thursday as Mercedes and Renault confirmed Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon respectively for next year, leaving Grosjean's drive with Haas as one of the most coveted remaining seats on the grid.

Haas team boss Gunther Steiner confirmed his interest in signing Nico Hulkenberg for 2020 after the German's exit from Renault was confirmed, saying it was a fight between him and Grosjean to partner Kevin Magnussen next year.

Asked if Thursday's announcements changed anything for him, Grosjean said: "No, I don't think so. Obviously there's one coming in the market, so one is going to come out.

"The next two weeks I guess are going to be key for the future, but we left [before summer] in good terms and come back in good terms. Let's see. Everyone was waiting to see what Mercedes was going to do, and that was confirmed this morning, and then Esteban, so there's only a couple of teams now that have got seats available.

"Here is one, so we're going to hear every rumour - maybe even Jacques Villeneuve at one point!"

Grosjean has scored just eight points so far this season, but said he was pleased with his own performances so far this year.

"This year, the season is not great, the reasons I don't know what they are. But I'm happy with what I've been doing and what I've achieved," Grosjean said.

"I've had a terrible year: six DNFs, and none of them are my fault. Reliability hasn't been on my side, car performance hasn't been on my side either. Whenever we were going to have good races, we just didn't get it to the finish line. It's not a good season in that aspect, but again, I think I'm happy with my performances.

"I'm happy with myself. As I said, there's one guy who's not going to be on the grid next year. Who is it going to be? I don't know."

Asked by Crash.net if losing his seat after such a luckless year would be difficult to take, Grosjean said: "I think as long as you are straight in your shoes and think you have done what you have to do, it's life. You will go on, there will be things to do. Less travel, definitely.

"But as I say, at the minute, I'm quite confident that I will be on the grid next year."

Grosjean did confirm he is looking at options outside of F1 as well, naming the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a race he is eager to contend in the future. The Frenchman also said Formula E could be an option, but ruled out IndyCar.

"Formula E could be one, yes. It's a nice championship, and obviously very, very different from Formula 1, but quite competitive and with some good constructors coming in which is always exciting," Grosjean said.

"Maybe one or two other [championships]. Not IndyCar. I'm too scared of ovals."

Grosjean ruled out only doing a part-season campaign in IndyCar on street courses, saying: "Then you cannot be champion. That's already been happening a lot in Formula 1 because you don't have the right car.

"So if you go somewhere else, it's to try to be champion."