It’s the news we have all been hoping for: Romain Grosjean will complete a special one-off F1 test for world champions Mercedes. After his horrifying crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix last November, it was confirmed Grosjean wouldn’t be able to race again before the end of the season – his final year in F1.
Desperate not to end his F1 career with such a traumatic accident, Grosjean said he would call “every single F1 team and see if anyone would offer me a private test and have 10-15 laps for myself.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff then agreed to help and has organised a test that will see RoGro drive Lewis Hamilton’s 2019 championship-winning car for a full test day in June. The venue? The French Grand Prix venue, Circuit Paul Ricard.
Romain will also get the chance to do a series of demonstration runs in the W10 for the French Grand Prix on the Sunday, hopefully in front of a home crowd. We can already feel the tears forming ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
“I am so excited to jump back in an F1 car,” Grosjean said about his Mercedes F1 test. “It’ll be a special opportunity for me, and to drive a world championship-winning Mercedes will be a unique experience.
“I’m very grateful to Mercedes F1 and to Toto for the opportunity. The first I heard about the chance to drive a Mercedes was in my hospital bed in Bahrain when Toto was speaking to the media and made the invitation. Reading that news cheered me up a lot!”
What an opportunity!!! Thank you so much to Toto and the whole @MercedesAMGF1 to make it happen. A last ride in front of my home crowd at the @gpfrancef1 in a @f1 car, what could be better? #r8g #f1 #enjoytheride pic.twitter.com/bhlsgZLhfQ
— Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean) May 5, 2021
Grosjean completed a seat fit and had a chance to drive the Mercedes simulator at the end of March, with the executive producer of Netflix’s Drive To Survive confirming they were also present and filmed the event for the Season 4 of the show.
“F1 didn’t get the chance to race in France during 2020 because of Covid, so driving a Mercedes at the French Grand Prix in 2021 and then completing a test at the Circuit Paul Ricard, my home track, will be so special. I can’t wait for the day to arrive.”
We can’t either, Romain. What an incredible opportunity and a happy ending for Grosjean, who is currently competing in IndyCar for the 2021 season.
You really do love to see it.
