F1 Legend Romain Grosjean Breaks Down in Tears During Heartfelt Return to Racing
In a gripping twist of fate, racing superstar Romain Grosjean found himself overwhelmed with emotion as he stepped back into the cockpit of a Formula 1 car this week, a decade after a horrific crash nearly claimed his life. The 39-year-old French-Swiss driver, who has been on a remarkable journey since that fateful day at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, was back on track, and the tears flowed freely.
Grosjean’s previous brush with death occurred when his Haas VF-20 was violently torn in half and engulfed in flames after colliding with the barriers during the opening lap of the race. The shocking incident, which lasted an agonizing 28 seconds, was immortalized in the Netflix series “Drive to Survive.” Miraculously, Grosjean emerged from the fiery wreckage with only second-degree burns on his hands, but it marked the end of his F1 career—until now.
Fast forward five years, and Grosjean has made a triumphant return to the track, piloting the Haas VF-23 at the Mugello Circuit in Italy. Participating in the TPC programme (Testing of Previous Car), he reunited with the team he raced with from 2016 until his life-altering crash. Reflecting on the day, Grosjean expressed his gratitude, stating, “Five years after Bahrain, here we are, Mugello, big thanks to Moneygram Haas F1 team, it was a special day of course.”
With emotions running high, Grosjean acknowledged the significance of the reunion, saying, “Gene Haas, Ayao Komatsu, they made it happen. It was a wet day but as we say with weddings, rainy wedding, happy wedding, so it was a rainy day, happy day. Fantastic.”
Despite his current role as a reserve driver for the Prema IndyCar team and his participation in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, Grosjean admitted to feeling “a bit rusty” at the beginning of the test. However, he quickly found his rhythm, reminiscing, “I felt a bit rusty at first and 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.”
The day culminated in an emotional celebration as Grosjean received an unexpected ovation. “They made me cry at the end of the day!” he revealed, keeping his visor down to conceal his tears. “For my last in-lap, everyone from Ferrari, Red Bull, Pirelli, and of course Moneygram Haas F1 team was here, clapping and giving me like an ovation. That’s something I was expecting in Abu Dhabi 2020 [his planned F1 farewell], but I think it was even better today.”
As Romain Grosjean’s emotional return to F1 resonates with fans and fellow racers alike, it’s a powerful reminder of the resilience and spirit that defines the world of motorsport. This chapter not only marks a new beginning for Grosjean but also ignites hope for fans who witnessed his harrowing past. The racing community will undoubtedly continue to rally behind this remarkable driver as he carves out his future on the track.
