The Frenchman\u2019s last F1 appearance came in Bahrain nearly five years ago, where he miraculously escaped a terrible crash that left him with serious burns on both hands. That race was his 179th and final Grand Prix, before he switched to IndyCar in the United States, where he secured six podiums and three pole positions over four seasons.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Now, invited by his former team Haas, Grosjean will reunite with Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu, who was also his race engineer at Lotus, for a Testing of Previous Car (TPC) session at the Tuscan circuit.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI\u2019m absolutely thrilled to be welcoming Romain Grosjean back into a Formula 1 car for the first time in five years but especially proud he\u2019s returning in one of our cars \u2013 it\u2019s only fitting,\u201d Komatsu said. \u201cRomain and I have worked together throughout his entire Formula 1 career so this test at Mugello is of particular significance to us both.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Grosjean, who drove for Haas from 2016 to 2020, admitted he is relishing the opportunity. \u201cTo say I\u2019m excited to get back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car would naturally be an understatement,\u201d he said. \u201cI really can\u2019t believe it\u2019s been almost five years, but to come back and have this outing with my old team is truly something special.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI\u2019m absolutely thrilled to be welcoming Romain Grosjean back into a Formula 1 car for the first time in five years but especially proud he\u2019s returning in one of our cars \u2013 it\u2019s only fitting,\u201d Komatsu said. \u201cRomain and I have worked together throughout his entire Formula 1 career so this test at Mugello is of particular significance to us both.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Mugello test will also include former IndyCar driver and current F1 TV broadcaster James Hinchcliffe, who will try out the VF-23 for the first time as part of a feature segment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n