Formula 1 News: Grosjean not ruling out F1 comeback after Haas test

(GMM) Romain Grosjean (pictured) admits his Mugello outing with Haas reminded him he still has what it takes to race in Formula 1.

The 39-year-old Frenchman drove a 2023-spec Haas in wet conditions on Friday – his first time in an F1 cockpit since his fiery 2020 Bahrain accident.

“It was a really nice day despite the weather,” Grosjean smiled to L’Equipe. “We relived a bit what we experienced in 2016 – Ayao (Komatsu) was talking to me on the radio, I had my chief mechanic with me.

“They made me do some qualifying laps in the afternoon and a test start.”

He admitted the first laps were tricky. “On the first lap I was a bit like an Indian in the city,” Grosjean smiled again. “Plus it was wet! I didn’t have to put the gas on full throttle once on that first lap.”

The emotion peaked when Grosjean returned to the garage. “When I came into the pits and all the mechanics formed a guard of honor, I wasn’t expecting that. Luckily I still had my helmet on because, to be honest, I shed a few tears.”

On the new ground effect cars, he marveled: “Even in the rain, the aerodynamics are amazing. There are corners where you think you won’t go flat out. And then yes.

“On the other hand, they are huge. Sometimes I thought I was going to lick the curb, and boom, I drove over it.”

When asked if the test rekindled thoughts of an F1 return, Grosjean paused. “Experiencing this day showed me that I hadn’t lost and that I still knew how to do it,” he said.

“Yes, I could see myself coming back. But for that to happen, it would require specific conditions – a team that wanted me. You never know what life is made of.”