Romain Grosjean will return to his Formula 1 machine park next month when he completes a day of testing with Mercedes at Paul Ricard seven months after his fiery accident.
Grosjean made his last F1 start at the Bahrain Grand Prix last year when a first lap accident ripped his car in half, escaping the fire that engulfed his cockpit.
Grosjean came out with burns on his hands that later excluded him from the last two races of the season, ending his F1 career prematurely.
But he vowed to return to F1 machines if possible. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said at the time that he would like to run a test for Grosjean to pave the way for an announcement on Wednesday.
Grosjean will test the title-winning 2019 Mercedes W10 car at Paul Ricard’s for a whole day on June 29 and will complete a few demonstration laps in the car at the French Grand Prix a few days beforehand.
Preparations for the test began in March when Grosjean visited the Mercedes factory in Brackley to assemble a seat and do some simulator work in line with his commitments at IndyCar, where he is now driving a road and road course program with Dale Coyne Racing.
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“I’m so excited to jump back in an F1 car!” Said Grosjean.
“It will be a special opportunity for me and it will be a unique experience to drive a Mercedes that has won the world championship.
“I am very grateful to Mercedes F1 and Toto for the opportunity. The first time I heard about the opportunity to drive a Mercedes was in my hospital bed in Bahrain when Toto spoke to the media and made the invitation. Reading this news really cheered me up!
“F1 didn’t have a chance to drive in France in 2020 due to COVID. So it will be something special to drive a Mercedes at the French Grand Prix in 2021 and then do a test on the Circuit Paul Ricard, my home track. I can’t wait for the day to come. “
“We are very excited to support Romain on this special occasion,” added Wolff. “The idea first came when it looked like Romain was about to end his active career in Formula 1 and we didn’t want his accident to be his last moment in an F1 car.
“I’ve known Romain since his Formula Three days when he won the championship. He’s had a long and successful F1 career and we wanted to make sure his last memories were behind the wheel of a car that won the championship. I’m curious what Romain’s feedback on the W10 is.
“Romain’s accident reminds us of the dangers these guys face every time they climb into the cockpit, but it is also testament to the incredible steps the sport has taken to improve safety over the years.
“I know the F1 community will celebrate when Romain is back on track.”
Romain Grosjean, Mercedes Romain Grosjean, Mercedes Photo by: Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 Team Romain Grosjean, Mercedes Photo by: Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 Team Romain Grosjean, Mercedes Photo by: Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 Team Romain Grosjean, Mercedes Photo by: Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 Team Toto Wolff, Managing Director (Business), Mercedes AMG and Romain Grosjean, Mercedes Photo by: Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 Team
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