Grand Prix

Romain Grosjean Confirmed To Make F1 Return

Romain Grosjean will get to taste Formula 1 machinery again for the first time since his horrific crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Ewan Gale|
Bob Goshert-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Romain Grosjean will make a return to Formula 1 machinery with a TPC [testing of previous car] outing with Haas.

The Frenchman, who finished his F1 career with the American team, will drive during a test day at Italy's Mugello circuit on Friday, September 26.

It will be the first time Grosjean will drive an F1 car since his horrifying crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, where he plowed into the barrier on the exit of Turn 3 on the opening lap at the Bahrain International Circuit with a registered impact of 67G.

With the car split in half and set alight, Grosjean miraculously escaped the wreckage with only burns to his hands.

Grosjean's Haas reunion

Romain Grosjean
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The reunion will include him driving the VF-23 with now-team principal Ayao Komatsu acting as race engineer - the Japanese filling out a role he had alongside Grosjean at the former Lotus F1 Team.

Grosjean's race engineer at Haas Dominic Haines will also oversee proceedings, while his former number one race mechanic Ian Staniforth will also be present.

A return to F1 machinery has been a long time coming for Grosjean, who was forced to back out of a planned test with Mercedes in recent years following a clash of schedules having made a full-time switch to IndyCar.

He has since left the American single-seater series but has found a home with Lamborghini's sportscar program in the United States.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Gene Haas and to Ayao Komatsu for inviting me to participate in the TPC at Mugello,” said Grosjean. “To say I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car would naturally be an understatement.

"I really can’t believe it’s been almost five years, but to come back and have this outing with my old team is truly something special. I’m excited to see everyone, I’m sure we’ll spend a bit of time reminiscing about the old days, but I’m also keen to be of use regarding the trackside agenda with the VF-23 – it's great the team now has the TPC program as part of its on-going development.

"Finally, my kids had designed my helmet for what was meant to be my final grand prix in Abu Dhabi back in 2020 – I’m at last going to be able to give it a go in a Formula 1 car on Friday.”

Grosjean will be joined at the test by former IndyCar race winner and current series and F1 pundit James Hinchcliffe, who will lap the car as part of a package for F1TV.

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Ewan Gale
EWAN GALE

Ewan is a motorsport journalist covering F1 for Grand Prix On SI. Having been educated at Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix, and subsequently graduating from university with a sports journalism degree, Ewan made a move into F1 in 2021. Ewan joins after a stint with Autosport as an editor, having written for a number of outlets including RacingNews365 and GPFans, during which time he has covered grand prix and car launches as an accredited member of the media.

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