F1
Former Haas driver Romain Grosjean got back behind the wheel with his old team on Friday at Mugello almost five years on from surviving Bahrain crash; Grosjean, who was finally able to wear a crash helmet his children had designed, said experience of driving an F 1 car again as “fantastic”
Friday 26 September 2025 17:11, UK
Romain Grosjean has driven an F1 car again for the first time since his miraculous escape from a fireball crash in the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix with his old Haas team.
The Frenchman’s Haas car split in two and caught fire when it pierced the barriers in a terrifying high-speed crash on the opening lap of the Bahrain race in November 2020.
Astonishingly, after spending 27 seconds in the car following an impact which measured 67G, Grosjean escaped from the flame-engulfed wreckage. His injuries were limited to burns to the back of his hands.
He missed that campaign’s final two races as a result, bringing a slightly premature end to his F1 career after 10 seasons given he had no seat on the grid for 2021. He returned to race in IndyCar just months later and currently competes in sportscars in North America.
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However, having long hoped for a farewell run in an F1 car, the 39-year-old finally got that chance at the Mugello circuit on Friday with Haas providing their 2023 challenger, the VF-23, under F1’s Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) rules for him to drive.
The first pictures of the test were released by the team on Friday morning from a wet Mugello, where Pirelli were also conducting 2026 tyre testing with Ferrari.
Speaking at the end of the test, Grosjean, who thanked owner Gene Haas and team boss Ayao Komatsu for the opportunity, said: “It was a wet day but as we say with a wedding, rainy wedding, happy wedding. So it was a rainy day, happy day. Fantastic!
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“Just a bit rusty at first but then everything came back.
“Even got to do a standing start and, guess what, my last standing start was Bahrain 2020, so this time it turned out way better. Very grateful.
“Very unique opportunity getting to see some of the people that were in Australia 2016 [Haas’ first race] and get to drive the new generation of car. It was fantastic and I’m very grateful.”
With the Bahrain accident having denied him what should have been his F1 swansong two races later at the end of 2020 season in Abu Dhabi, Friday finally give Grosjean chance to wear the special crash helmet his three children had designed for what should have been his final race.
He was also touched to receive a special send-off from the F1 crews present in Mugello when he completed his day’s running.
“They made me cry at the end of the day!” he said.
“I kept my visor down but for my last in-lap everyone from Ferrari, Red Bull, Pirelli and, of course, Haas was here clapping and giving me an ovation.
“That’s something I was expecting in Abu Dhabi 2020 but I think it was even better today.”
The test reunited Grosjean with former Haas colleagues, many of whom now work on the team’s TPC and heritage car programmes.
Current Haas team principal Komatsu served as Grosjean’s race engineer on the day, reprising a role he held when they first worked together at Renault/Lotus before both joined the start-up American outfit nine years ago.
“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,” said Komatsu ahead of the run.
“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.”
Grosjean started 179 grands prix for Renault/Lotus and Haas between 2009 and 2020, finishing on the podium 10 times and twice achieving a best result of second place.
First testing an IndyCar less than three months after his accident in Bahrain, Grosjean claimed three pole positions and six podiums across four seasons in the US series. He currently serves as a reserve driver to the Prema team in IndyCar and races in North America’s IMSA SportsCar Championship.
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