Romain Grosjean wanted to drive for Renault's new works team next year but was not willing to wait for the deal to be sorted out.

Grosjean will leave Lotus for Haas in 2016 despite Renault's plans to take over his current team and turn it into a works outfit next season. He agreed a deal to drive for Haas ahead of the Italian Grand Prix this year and said the protracted negotiations between Renault and Lotus had encouraged him to secure his future as soon as possible.

"I was the first one who wanted to be part of the Renault project," Grosjean told BBC World Service Sport. "If they had come earlier I would have stayed, but I met with Haas, they made an approach and it was attractive."

Grosjean briefly drove for Renault in 2009 when he replaced Nelson Piquet Jnr at the team before it was sold to Genii Capital, which is now planning to sell it back for next season. He has also benefited from long-term support from French fuel and lubricant supplier Total, which has been a partner with Renault in Formula One for several years.

But even though he appears be the perfect fit for the returning French manufacturer, Grosjean said the close links between Haas and Ferrari enticed him to join the American team.

"The fact that Haas is close to Ferrari made it very appealing. Not because I'm thinking about Ferrari in one, two or three years, but it does bring me closer for sure.

"They'll look at what we do. The better job I do there the better chance I have of getting a seat with Ferrari one day."