Romain Grosjean will return to a System 1 cockpit for the primary time since his fiery crash on the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix in a check on Friday.
The Franco-Swiss driver will participate in a Testing of Earlier Automobile (TPC) run for former crew Haas at Mugello, driving the 2023 VF-23. Mugello held a sole System 1 grand prix, the Tuscan Grand Prix, through the COVID-affected 2020 season, with Grosjean ending twelfth for Haas in that race.
“I’m extremely grateful to Gene Haas and to Ayao Komatsu for inviting me to take part within the TPC at Mugello,” mentioned Grosjean. “To say I’m excited to get again behind the wheel of a System 1 automotive would naturally be an understatement.
“I actually can’t consider it’s been nearly 5 years, however to come back again and have this outing with my previous crew is really one thing particular. I’m excited to see everybody, I’m certain we’ll spend a little bit of time reminiscing concerning the previous days, however I’m additionally eager to be of use concerning the trackside agenda with the VF-23 – it is nice the crew now has the TPC program as a part of its on-going growth.
“Lastly, my youngsters had designed my helmet for what was meant to be my ultimate grand prix in Abu Dhabi again in 2020 – I’m eventually going to have the ability to give it a go in a System 1 automotive on Friday.”
A lot of Haas’ heritage division – which runs Haas’ TPC program – was a part of Grosjean’s crew throughout his time driving for Haas, together with Dominc Haines, who will oversee the day and was beforehand Grosjean’s race engineer in 2019 and ’20. Grosjean’s former No. 1 race mechanic Ian Staniforth will even be there in his present capability as race crew assist chief, whereas present Haas crew principal Ayao Komatsu was trackside engineering director throughout Grosjean’s stint at Haas and was his race engineer at Lotus the place the pair scored 10 podiums collectively.
“I’m completely thrilled to be welcoming Romain Grosjean again right into a System 1 automotive for the primary time in 5 years however particularly proud he’s returning in one among our automobiles – it’s solely becoming,” mentioned Komatsu.
“Romain and I’ve labored collectively all through his whole System 1 profession so this check at Mugello is of explicit significance to us each.
“I’m delighted he embraced the chance to come back and get again behind the wheel with us, a day that’s going to be made additional particular by having so many members of the unique crew again collectively to witness it.
“It must be a enjoyable day and figuring out Romain as I do, I do know he’ll wish to give it his all as regular – I’d count on nothing much less, not least as we’ve talked about making this occur for a very long time now.”
Grosjean’s return behind the wheel of a System 1 automotive is a very long time coming. He was beforehand set to check Mercedes’ 2020 Mercedes-AMG W10 EQ Energy+ – the automotive that received the race the place Grosjean had his accident – across the 2021 French Grand Prix, and even had a seat becoming, however the run did not go forward. Since leaving F1 following his crash, Grosjean has competed in 64 NTT IndyCar collection races for Dale Coyne Racing, Andretti World, and Juncos Hollinger Racing, attaining six podium finishes. He has additionally been part of Lamborghini’s manufacturing facility driver lineup, racing 9 occasions within the IMSA SportsCar collection’s GTD Professional and GTP courses since 2023.
In addition to Grosjean, six-time IndyCar race winner and 2016 Indianapolis 500 polesitter James Hinchcliffe will even be making his F1 bow, driving the VF-23 as properly, as a part of a characteristic for F1 TV that can air throughout america Grand Prix weekend.
