Romain Grosjean to drive an F1 car five years after his fiery crash

FILE -Romain Grosjean greets fans before an IndyCar auto race, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

SCARPERIA E SAN PIERO, Italy — Nearly five years after his time in Formula 1 ended in a fiery crash, Romain Grosjean is getting back behind the wheel of an F1 car.

Grosjean will be reunited with former colleagues and crew from the Haas team as he tests a 2023 car on Friday at the Mugello circuit in Italy.

Grosjean will wear a special-edition helmet decorated with drawings from his three children which he had meant to use in what would have been his final race of the 2020 season in Abu Dhabi.

He never got to use it because of a crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix the month before which has gone down in F1 history. Grosjean’s car broke in two and became stuck in the barrier as fuel ignited. He needed treatment for burns, missed the final two races of the season, then was without an F1 seat for 2021.

“I really can’t believe it’s been almost five years, but to come back and have this outing with my old team is truly something special,” Grosjean said.

Since leaving F1, Grosjean has raced mostly in the United States in IndyCar and sportscar series, driving the Indianapolis 500 three times and the 24 Hours of Le Mans once.

Friday’s event will also see former IndyCar driver and F1 presenter James Hinchcliffe test the 2023 Haas.

The Associated Press