Romain Grosjean will drive a Haas Formula 1 car for the first time since his fireball crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2020 ended his F1 career and almost claimed his life, Afrosport reports.
The French driver, racing for the American outfit at that time, crashed his car into the metal barriers on the opening lap of the Sakhir circuit, ripping in half before it burst into flames.
Grosjean’s left foot was initially trapped, yet he managed to extract himself after 27 seconds, but suffered severe burns to his hands.
The 39-year-old drove for Haas for five seasons and will test the 2023 VF-23 at the Mugello circuit on Friday with members of his original crew, including team principal Ayao Komatsu, who was a racing engineer at that time.
His F1 career also saw him race with Renault and Lotus, recording 10 podiums, one fastest lap and 391 career points.
“To say I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car would naturally be an understatement,” said Grosjean in a statement.
“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.
“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 on Friday.”
Reunited for a special reunion ❤️
Former driver, Romain Grosjean returns to drive our VF-23 this Friday in Mugello at our TPC event. This marks the first time Romain has piloted an F1 car since the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.#HaasF1 #F1 | @F1 @RGrosjean pic.twitter.com/cROfhZSygM
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) September 25, 2025
Meanwhile, Komatsu said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be welcoming Romain Grosjean back into a Formula 1 car for the first time in five years, but especially proud he’s returning in one of our cars – it’s only fitting.
“I’m delighted he embraced the opportunity to come and get back behind the wheel with us, a day that’s going to be made extra special by having so many members of the original crew back together to witness it.”
After his F1 departure, Grosjean has been racing in the IndyCar series in the United States. He has raced with Andretti Autosport and Juncos Hollinger Racing, and is currently a reserve driver with Prema Racing.
He has also competed in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with Iron Lynx and the Le Mans 24 Hours with Lamborghini.
