Romain Grosjean will drive a Haas Formula 1 car on Friday in Italy for the first time since his 2020 Bahrain crash nearly ended his life and career.
Idman.biz, citing Reuters, reports that the 39-year-old Frenchman, who raced for Haas for five seasons, is set to test the 2023 VF-23 at the Mugello circuit. Grosjean will be joined by members of his original crew, including current team principal Ayao Komatsu, who was previously his race engineer.
“It’s truly something special to return with my old team after almost five years,” Grosjean said. “My kids designed my helmet for what was meant to be my final grand prix in Abu Dhabi in 2020. I finally get to drive it in a Formula 1 car.”
Grosjean survived a fiery crash in Bahrain, where his car split in half and erupted in flames after a 192kph impact. He escaped after 27 seconds despite burns to his hands and a trapped left foot. Komatsu expressed pride in welcoming Grosjean back and highlighted the reunion of the original crew.
Previously, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff had offered Grosjean a farewell test, but it never occurred due to COVID-19 and his IndyCar commitments in the U.S.
