Romain Grosjean gets F1 comeback test five years after fireball crash

Romain Grosjean will return to the cockpit of an F1 car for the first time since his horrific fireball crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.

The 39-year-old Frenchman will drive Haas’s 2023 F1 car, the VF-23, at the Mugello circuit on Friday as part of a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) outing. 

It will mark Grosjean’s first time in F1 machinery since he sustained severe injuries in a fiery accident at the start of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Grosjean miraculously escaped the terrifying 137mph, 67G crash that split his Haas car in two and left him stuck in the cockpit as fire raged around him.

As a result of his burn injuries, Grosjean was unable to take part in the final two F1 races of the 2020 season, before making the switch to IndyCar for the following year.

Mercedes had planned a special one-off test for Grosjean in France in 2021, but COVID-19 restrictions forced the event to be postponed.

Many members of Grosjean’s original Haas crew will be present for Friday’s outing at Mugello.

Team principal Ayao Komatsu, who was Grosjean’s race engineer, will serve as race engineer once again.

Former race engineer Dominic Haines, and Grosjean’s long-serving no.1 race mechanic, Ian Staniforth, will also be in attendance at Mugello.

Romain Grosjean excited for F1 comeback 

Grosjean confirmed he will wear a helmet designed by his children that was originally intended for use in his final grand prix in Abu Dhabi in 2020.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Gene Haas and to Ayao Komatsu for inviting me to participate in the TPC at Mugello,” Grosjean said. “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.”

Komatsu added: “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.

“Romain and I have worked together throughout his entire Formula 1 career so this test at Mugello is of particular significance to us both. 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.”