Romain Grosjean will finally get his Mercedes test drive in 2022 after being unable to do so in the previous season.
Grosjean’s last ever race in F1 ended with one of the most horrific crashes of all time. At the 2020 Bahrain GP, he spun out of control and he hit the barriers, resulting in his Haas car being engulfed by flames.
To everyone’s relief, he got out of the car, sustaining only minor injuries. Still, it cut his F1 career short by two races as he was unable to compete in the following two rounds because his departure from Haas was already announced earlier that year, and he was unable to land an F1 seat for 2021.
From his hospital bed in Bahrain, @RGrosjean issued an update on his condition and thanked F1 fans for their messages of goodwill on Sunday evening
Everyone is so happy to see you smiling, Romain 👊🙂#BahrainGP 🇧🇭 #F1 https://t.co/parSJ0qYHj
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 30, 2020
Grosjean admitted in the immediate aftermath of his F1 departure, that he isn’t done with the sport. He stated that he wants to ‘retire on his own terms’. As a result, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff promised the 35-year old a test run on the W10 at the 2021 French GP.
Due to Covid 19 restrictions, and Grosjean’s IndyCar commitments, that test never went ahead. However, in a recent interview, he said that Wolff has assured him that the date of his final F1 run will be rescheduled during the 2022 season.
Also read: Romain Grosjean explains why he thinks FIA race director made correct choice in Abu Dhabi
Romain Grosjean will finally get behind the Mercedes wheel at some point in 2022
Grosjean found solace across the pond, competing for Dale Coyne and Rick Ware Racing at the IndyCar series. He had a decent rookie season in the sport, earning three podium finishes throughout the course of 2021.
This year on the other hand, he is finally set to complete his test run on the Mercedes W10.
“I sent a message to Toto after Abu Dhabi,” said the Frenchman. “I let a few weeks go by and. Then I sent a message to Toto and he did reply and it started ‘thank you’. And then the last sentence was ‘we need to get you in that car this year’. So yes, it’s still on the cards.”
That Mercedes suit fit. 🖤👌 pic.twitter.com/NOleTgGdrL
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) May 5, 2021
“There were a few things last year that didn’t make it easy. This year, I cannot go at the French Grand Prix because we’re racing in Iowa the same weekend.”
“But definitively, yes, Mercedes is keen to do it, I am keen to do it. Even though my neck would be dying because I’ve lost part of the muscle there.”
“But yes, we still want to do it and if it happens, great. But the main focus is now trying to win races with Andretti.” Grosjean concluded.
Also read: American racing starlet Colton Herta talks about a potential Formula 1 move in the future
