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Romain Grosjean will make a brief return to Formula 1 with a special check exclusive to Mercedes precisely seven months after escaping a violent twist of fate in Bahrain.
Mercedes announced on Wednesday that Grosjean will drive Lewis Hamilton’s 2019 championship-winning car at the French Grand Prix on June 27 before a full day at the Paul Riautomobiled circuit two days later.
It fulfills a promise that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff made after Grosjean’s crash last November when the Frenchman was driving for Haas. Grosjean withdrew from the burning wreckage and while hospitalized, Wolff said at a news conference that he didn’t need this to be Grosjean’s last. Experiment F1.
“The first time I heard about the option of driving a Mercedes in my hospital bed in Bahrain, when Toto spoke to the media and issued the invitation. Reading this news gave me a lot of comfort,” Grosjean said on Mercedes’ website. F1 hasn’t had the option to race in France in 2020 due to COVID, so driving a Mercedes at the French Grand Prix in 2021 and then doing a check at the Circuit Paul Ricard, my home track, will be very special. I can’t wait for the day to come.
Grosjean suffered severe burns to his hands that left visible scars. Since then, he moved to IndyCar in the United States and finished two races.
“We are very pleased to help Romain with this special opportunity,” Wolff said. “Romain’s twist of fate reminds us of the risks those guys face every time they step into the cockpit, but it’s also a testament to the incredible steps this game has protected itself over the years. I know the F1 network will celebrate Romain’s return to the right path. “
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