Nearly five years after his fiery escape in Bahrain, Romain Grosjean finally climbed back into a Formula 1 car with Haas, completing a long-awaited return that ended with applause, tears, and a smile as wide as the Mugello pit straight.
The Frenchman last competed in F1 at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, where his Haas split in two and burst into flames after spearing through the barriers on the opening lap. The shocking crash, which subjected Grosjean to a terrifying 27 seconds inside a blaze measuring 67G on impact, left him with burns to his hands but miraculously no life-threatening injuries. It also meant his career ended prematurely, as he was ruled out of the final two races of the 2020 season and had no seat on the 2021 grid.
Instead, Grosjean’s racing path carried him across the Atlantic into IndyCar and later IMSA sportscar competition. Yet one piece of unfinished business always remained: the farewell Formula 1 drive he never got to experience in Abu Dhabi at the end of 2020.
On Friday, 26 September 2025, at Mugello, that moment finally arrived.
A Long-Awaited Return
Haas organised the special run under F1’s Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) regulations, handing Grosjean the keys to their 2023 car, the VF-23. The weather added a twist as the Tuscan circuit was soaked throughout the day, but Grosjean was ready. His helmet carried extra significance as well: a design created by his three children that had been intended for his final race in 2020, before fate intervened.
“Five years after Bahrain, here we are at Mugello,” Grosjean said with a grin when he hopped out of the cockpit. “A big thanks to MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, it was a special day! Of course, Gene Haas, Ayao Komatsu, they made it happen.”
The symbolism of the day ran deep. Grosjean reunited with Ayao Komatsu, now Haas Team Principal but previously his race engineer both at Lotus F1 and during their early years together at Haas. Watching trackside were Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur and several other teams involved in Pirelli’s 2026 tyre testing.
Rusty No More
Grosjean admitted the first few laps were cautious. “I felt a bit rusty at first, then everything came back,” he explained. Soon, he was smiling under the visor, enjoying more than just laps. “I even got to do a standing start, and guess what? My last standing start was Bahrain 2020. This time it turned out way better!”
He added with trademark humour: “It was a wet day, but as we say with weddings, rainy wedding, happy wedding, so it was a rainy day, happy day.”
For Grosjean, the experience wasn’t simply about driving again. It was about reconnecting with people and memories. “A very unique opportunity, getting to see some of the people that were in Australia 2016 [for Haas’ first Grand Prix], and to get to drive the new generation of car. It was fantastic. I’m very, very grateful. There are just no other words.”
The Farewell That Never Was
The day closed with a poignant surprise. As Grosjean rolled back to the pits after his final run, crews from Haas, Ferrari, Red Bull and Pirelli gathered to applaud.
“They made me cry at the end of the day!” he admitted. “I kept my visor down, but for my last in-lap everyone from Ferrari, Red Bull, Pirelli and of course MoneyGram Haas F1 Team was here, clapping and giving me like an ovation. That’s something I was expecting in Abu Dhabi 2020, but I think it was even better today.”
Haas Opens the Door
For Komatsu, the test was more than ceremonial. “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,” he said beforehand. “Romain and I have worked together throughout his entire Formula 1 career so this test at Mugello is of particular significance to us both.
“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. It should be a fun day and knowing Romain as I do, I know he’ll want to give it his all as usual, I’d expect nothing less, not least as we’ve talked about making this happen for a long time now.”
A Career Remembered
Grosjean’s F1 record stands at 179 Grand Prix starts for Renault, Lotus and Haas, with ten podiums and two runner-up finishes to his name. He moved into IndyCar just three months after Bahrain, collecting three poles and six podiums in four seasons, and now competes in IMSA sportscar racing in North America while also serving as a reserve driver in IndyCar with Prema.
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Romain
Grosjean
2009 European Grand Prix F1 Debut
Haas Current/Last Team
But on this rainy day at Mugello, Grosjean was not an IndyCar star or a sports car racer. He was simply a Formula 1 driver again, completing the farewell he was denied, embraced by his old team and cheered by the paddock.
For a man who once walked out of fire to fight another day, perhaps there could have been no better ending.
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