The Frenchman sat in a NASCAR machine at Gene Haas’s factory last year after signing for the American’s F1 team and said at the time that he would not be against trying one out on a track.

And although he has ruled out doing an oval race, he says competing in a road course event is something that he is still up for.

When asked whether he still had an interest in contesting a NASCAR race, Grosjean told Motorsport.com: “Yes! But I’d do it on a road course. Not on an oval, never. I’d be scared, and it’s too much of a specialty.

“I’m open to doing some testing [of a Sprint Cup car] on a road course to see how it runs before making my decision. This car is vastly different from an F1 car.

“I sat in one when I visited Haas in Charlotte last winter. I had the feeling that I had 15 feet on my right! 'Why’s the seat not bolted in the centre of the car?'

"But yes, I admit that the idea of contesting a race one day is very appealing.”

Grosjean was voted F1’s driver of the day at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix for finishing sixth on the Haas team’s grand prix debut.

Interview by Rene Fagnan