Back behind the wheel after his terrifying accident at the 2020 F1 Bahrain GP, Romain Grosjean will return to Haas for a test at Mugello on Friday. The Frenchman will drive the VF-23, last piloted by Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, in a Testing of Previous Car (TPC) test.
A patron of the American team since his first outing with them in 2016, Grosjean went on to compete with Haas for five seasons. However, his departure from the team and sport altogether took a terrible turn. The then 34-year-old suffered a horrifying crash during the opening lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix. The incident itself saw his car ram through the barrier, catching fire on impact due to a ruptured fuel line.
His injuries were contained to some burns on his hands and legs, thanks to the halo. Yet, Grosjean had to abandon his last two races as he needed to recover from the crash, with Pietro Fittipaldi replacing him. Nonetheless, the Frenchman did not let this setback stop him from pursuing motorsport, moving on to IndyCar.
James Hinchcliffe, former IndyCar driver and F1TV analyst, will accompany Grosjean at the Mugello TPC. This will be the six-time IndyCar race winner’s first time piloting F1 machinery.
A warm welcome from Haas
The Haas Team Principal, Ayao Komatsu, shared a statement on Romain Grosjean’s return to F1 for the Mugello test. Komatsu was actually Grosjean’s race engineer at both Haas and Lotus back in the day. Taking on the same role now, the Haas TP feels this moment was “only fitting” for the Frenchman:
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be welcoming Romain Grosjean back into a Formula 1 car for the first time in five years. But especially proud he’s returning in one of our cars – it’s only fitting,” explained Komatsu.
“Romain and I have worked together throughout his entire Formula 1 career. So this test at Mugello is of particular significance to us both.”
The motorsport world almost got to witness a Grosjean return in 2021 for a run at Circuit Paul Ricard in a Mercedes F1 car. However, COVID restrictions put a damper on his plans. Now the Haas team will bring out some members of the 2020 crew to witness and share their support:
“I’m delighted he embraced the opportunity to come and get back behind the wheel with us. A day that’s going to be made extra special by having so many members of the original crew back together to witness it.
“It should be a fun day. And knowing Romain as I do, I know he’ll want to give it his all as usual. I’d expect nothing less, not least as we’ve talked about making this happen for a long time now,” kindly shared Komatsu, reflecting on their time together.
Personal statements from the Frenchman
Following the abrupt end to his F1 career, Romain Grosjean went on to race in IndyCar from 2021 to 2024. His debut took off great under Dale Coyne Racing. So well, in fact, that the Frenchman went on to race the following two years with Andretti.
Ending his campaign in 2024 with Juncos Hollinger Racing, he moved on to sports car racing with Lambourgini in the IMSA SportsCar Championship. Yet, the desire to be back behind the wheel of an F1 car stayed with him.
“I’m incredibly grateful to [team owner] Gene Haas and to Ayao Komatsu for inviting me to participate in the TPC at Mugello,” Grosjean emphasised in a statement regarding his return to F1 with Haas at Mugello.
With plans to race with his old helmet from 2020, with a design made by his children, Romain Grosjean is ready to return and reminisces about his old racing days. Moreover, the 39-year-old praised Haas for their development:
“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.”
