Following half a decade since the unfortunate incident at the Bahrain Grand Prix that prematurely concluded his Formula 1 journey, Romain Grosjean experienced a deeply moving comeback to F1 during a test session held at Mugello.
Having been a part of the Haas team from 2016 until 2020 before his transition to IndyCar, Grosjean was presented with the chance to pilot the team’s VF-23 vehicle, which was utilized during the 2023 season. He was accompanied by F1 TV analyst and former IndyCar competitor James Hinchcliffe, who was also exploring F1 for the first time for an upcoming segment on the championship’s official broadcast platform.
Details surrounding the testing day, which occurred in conjunction with Pirelli’s tire development activities, have been limited, with the exception of reports of rainfall. Nevertheless, Grosjean expressed immense joy following his experience, particularly highlighting the emotional impact of the applause he received in the pit lane.
“The day was wet, but as the saying goes, it was a rainy wedding, a happy rainy wedding,” the 39-year-old commented. “So, it was a wet day, a happy day, simply fantastic.”
“Initially, I felt somewhat out of practice, but it all came back to me. I even had the opportunity to perform a standing start, and remarkably, my last one was at Bahrain in 2020. This time, however, it went much more smoothly.”
Romain Grosjean, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Haas F1 Team
“I am extremely grateful for this unique opportunity to reconnect with some of the individuals from the Australia 2016 event and to experience driving the latest generation of cars. It was absolutely fantastic, and once again, I am deeply thankful. There are simply no words to fully express my gratitude.”
Team principal Ayao Komatsu, who has been with Grosjean since his days at Lotus before joining Haas as a race engineer in 2016, along with heritage chief engineer Dominic Haines, who served as Grosjean’s race engineer from 2019 to 2020, were present among a host of familiar faces for the Geneva-born driver.
“They brought me to tears at the end of the day!” Grosjean shared. “I kept my helmet visor down, but during my final in-lap, everyone from Ferrari, Red Bull, Pirelli, and of course, the Haas F1 team, were there, applauding and giving me an ovation.”
“This was something I had anticipated at Abu Dhabi in 2020 [for what was planned as his F1 farewell], but I believe today’s experience was even more special.”
Romain Grosjean, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Haas F1 Team
