Romain Grosjean back in a Haas: five years on, a Tuscan reunion with the team that defined his second F1 life
Romain Grosjean will slip back into a Haas cockpit on Friday at Mugello, turning the page on a story many thought ended in fire and disbelief under the Bahrain floodlights in 2020.
Haas is handing Grosjean a TPC (Testing of a Previous Car) run in its 2023 machine, the VF‑23, for what’s part reunion, part therapy, and very much a celebration. The Frenchman made 98 starts for Haas between 2016 and 2020 and was there from day one, carrying the American team through its scrappy, spirited early years. His fourth place in Austria 2018 still stands as Haas’ best result.
TPC days are relatively routine inside F1’s testing restrictions, but this one won’t feel routine. Grosjean hasn’t driven an F1 car since his Bahrain crash — the 28 seconds that changed everything — and while he had already been told he wouldn’t be retained for 2021, his F1 career ending through the Armco was never the plan. Mugello offers a cleaner closing chapter.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Gene Haas and to Ayao Komatsu for inviting me,” Grosjean said. “To say I’m excited to get back behind the wheel would naturally be an understatement. 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.”
There’s a neat bit of symmetry baked in. Komatsu, now team principal, will briefly swap the pit wall for the headset as Grosjean’s engineer for the day — just like old times at Lotus and then Haas. Dominic Haines, Grosjean’s race engineer in 2019–20 and now Haas’s heritage chief engineer, is also on the roster, alongside Ian Staniforth, who was Grosjean’s No.1 mechanic. It’s the original crew rolling back the years.
Komatsu isn’t hiding his delight: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be welcoming Romain back into a Formula 1 car for the first time in five years — and especially proud he’s returning in one of our cars. We’ve talked about making this happen for a long time. Knowing Romain, he’ll want to give it his all, as usual.”
Grosjean will also finally wear the helmet designed by his kids for what was meant to be his farewell Abu Dhabi weekend in 2020. He never got to use it. He will now, which says everything you need to know about why this isn’t just a mileage exercise.
For Haas, it’s also a quietly savvy move. The team has leaned into TPCs this year — Kamui Kobayashi sampled the VF‑23 at Paul Ricard in June — and there’s value in running a stable platform with experienced hands while the current programme pushes on. The VF‑23 isn’t today’s headline act, but it’s a solid tool for correlation, driver feel, and content. On that note, former IndyCar winner James Hinchcliffe will also drive the car at Mugello for Formula 1’s in‑house F1 TV, filming a feature piece around the test.
Grosjean’s F1 CV remains underrated in some quarters: 179 starts, 10 podiums, and a reputation for sheer pace wrapped in sometimes ragged edges. At Haas, he was more than a number — he was part of the team’s identity in the early years, carrying technical feedback, qualifying speed, and, yes, a fair tranche of drama. Ask around the garage and you’ll hear the same timeline: without Grosjean in 2016–18, Haas doesn’t hit the ground nearly as hard as it did.
There’s also a loose end tied up here. Mercedes once promised Grosjean a “farewell” F1 test after Bahrain, and a seat fit was done in 2021 for a planned Paul Ricard run before travel and quarantine complications put it on ice. Life moved on. This Mugello day with Haas feels more fitting anyway.
Expect sentiment, sure. But expect him to push. If you know Grosjean, the out‑lap will be gentle, the second lap curious, the third lap committed. Mugello — fast, flowing, unforgiving — has a way of asking straight questions. He’ll want straight answers.
And for a team still carving its future, there’s nothing wrong with remembering who you are. Friday will be a reminder: black-and-gold Lotus echoes in the headset, white-and-red Haas overalls in the pitlane, and a driver who left a mark on both.
Grosjean put it simply: “I’m excited to see everyone, I’m sure we’ll spend a bit of time reminiscing about the old days, but I’m also keen to be of use regarding the trackside agenda with the VF‑23. Finally, my kids had designed my helmet for what was meant to be my final grand prix in Abu Dhabi back in 2020 — I’m at last going to be able to give it a go in a Formula 1 car.”
Sometimes F1 gives you a second take. On Friday in Tuscany, Grosjean gets his. And this time, it’s on his terms.
