Grosjean says threat of ban is 's*** situation'

Romain Grosjean lamented the "shit situation" he finds himself in as he tackles to Mexican grand Prix knowing that picking up two penalty points will land him a race ban. Grosjean moved closer to a sanction after a first-lap collision with Charles Leclerc in the United States last week.

The Haas driver moved to 10 penalty points over a 12-month period after his COTA indiscretion – drivers receive a one-race ban if they accrue 12 over a year.

It means that Grosjean could even miss the Mexico race if he puts a foot wrong in FP3 or qualifying, although one point will drop from his record after Mexico, with two more set to expire following the Brazilian GP.

"I am in a shit situation," he said. "I've got two points left.

I get one back after the [Mexico] race and two back after Brazil, so then it is going to be a bit nicer. But sometimes you take a penalty and you don't know why.

"If you start putting penalties every time we touch, then the races are already not the most exciting thing in the world, so my goodness.

"You can go through it a hundred times. There are penalties you deserve. The points system, do we need it in F1, with supposedly the best drivers in the world? I don't know."

Grosjean admitted that walking a tightrope had started to affect his driving style in Mexico.

"When you are on a fast lap you do your best, and when you are on a slow lap you always watch twice more in the mirrors and make sure you don't block anyone," he said.

"And it is not easy. A slow lap has to be 30 seconds, 40 seconds slower on a very short lap and you are trying to keep on the right side of cars.

"But that is the situation we are in and we have to live with it."

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