Romain David Jeremie Grosjean (; born 17 April 1986) is a Swiss-French professional
racing driver, competing under the French flag in the
NTT IndyCar Series, driving the No. 28 Honda for
Andretti Autosport. Grosjean had previously spent nine full-time seasons in
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship ...
for a variety of teams, picking up 10 podiums, all with
Lotus
Lotus may refer to:
Plants
*Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly:
** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae
**Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...
.
He dominated the 2005 French Formula Renault championship at his first attempt and joined the
Renault young driver programme. He was the
2007 Formula 3 Euro Series drivers' champion. In
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...
, he became the inaugural
GP2 Asia Series champion and came fourth in his first year in
GP2. In he made his Formula One debut for Renault at the and came fourth again in GP2 despite missing the final eight races. After being dropped by Renault, he returned to junior formulae, winning the
2010 Auto GP championship at the first attempt and winning the 2011
GP2 Asia Series and
GP2 Series becoming the first – and , only – two-time GP2 Asia champion and the only driver to hold both the GP2 Asia series and main GP2 series titles simultaneously. Due to the Asia and Main GP2 series being discontinued, this will likely remain true for the foreseeable future.
In , Grosjean returned to Formula One with the
Lotus F1 Team, alongside
Kimi Räikkönen.
He took his first Formula One podium at the
2012 Bahrain Grand Prix and took his first fastest lap in the
2012 Spanish Grand Prix. He became the first driver since 1994 to receive a race ban after causing a multi-car pile-up, at the
2012 Belgian Grand Prix
The 2012 Belgian Grand Prix (formally the 2012 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race that took place, at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps near the village of Francorchamps, Wallonia, Belgium on 2 September 2012, the fir ...
. In he remained with Lotus, taking six podiums. He drove for Lotus again alongside Venezuelan
Pastor Maldonado in the and seasons and achieved a podium finish at the
2015 Belgian Grand Prix
The 2015 Belgian Grand Prix (formally the 2015 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 23 August 2015 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Spa, Belgium. It was the eleventh round of the 2015 Formula One sea ...
before moving to Haas from to . In what would be his final Formula One race, Grosjean survived a dramatic crash during the
2020 Bahrain Grand Prix when his car separated in two and caught fire after penetrating a metal guardrail on the first lap. Grosjean sustained minor burns and credited the
halo
Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to:
* Halo (optical phenomenon)
* Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head
HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Video games
* Halo (franchise), ...
with saving his life.
After the 2020 Formula One season, Grosjean moved to the
IndyCar Series
The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices o ...
. He obtained his first pole position and podium in his third race, the
Grand Prix of Indianapolis.
Early life
Grosjean was born in
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situ ...
, Switzerland. He was born to a Swiss father and a French mother. He is the great-grandson of
Edgar Brandt, weapon designer and founder of Brandt. He is also the grandson of skier
Fernand Grosjean
Fernand Grosjean (5 May 1924 – 19 August 2015) was a Swiss alpine skier who competed at the 1948 and at the 1952 Winter Olympics. In 1948 he finished eighth in the alpine skiing downhill competition and 16th in the combined event. Four years ...
, silver medalist in giant slalom at the
1950 World Ski Championship in
Aspen
Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the ''Populus'' genus.
Species
These species are called aspens:
*'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (Chin ...
.
Early racing career
Grosjean won all ten rounds of the 2003
Formula Lista Junior
Formula LO, previously known formally as LO Formel Lista Junior, was an open wheel racing series based in mainland Europe, which often ran as a support series to the Formula Renault 2.0 Switzerland. The first season was in 2000 and is based in Sw ...
championship and moved to the
French Formula Renault championship for 2004.
He was seventh in that first season with one win and was champion in 2005 with ten victories. He also appeared in the
Formula Renault Eurocup and finished on the podium twice in
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
.
With his results and potential in the
Formula Renault
Formula Renault are classes of formula racing popular in Europe and elsewhere. Regarded as an entry-level series to motor racing, it was founded in 1971, and was a respected series where drivers can learn advanced racecraft before moving on to hig ...
series, Grosjean joined the
Renault Driver Development programme for the continuation of his career.
Formula Three
Grosjean made his Formula Three debut at the
2005 Macau Grand Prix
The 2005 Macau Grand Prix (formally the 52nd Macau Grand Prix) was a motor race for Formula Three cars that was held on the streets of Macau on 20 November 2005. Unlike other races, such as the Masters of Formula 3, the 2005 Macau Grand Prix w ...
, standing in for
Loïc Duval at
Signature-Plus. He qualified 19th and raced to ninth, beating teammates
Fábio Carbone
Fábio Carbone (born September 4, 1980) is a Brazilian race car driver.
Racing career
Carbone began his career in karting at the age of nine and won the Brazilian national championship at 15 years of age, in 1995.
In 1999, he moved into Formu ...
and Guillaume Moreau.
He did a full season in the
2006 Formula 3 Euro Series
The 2006 Formula 3 Euro Series season was the fourth championship year of Europe’s premier Formula Three series. As in previous years, there were ten rounds – each with two races – held at a variety of European circuits. Each weeke ...
but had a tough year, taking only one podium finish and ending the year 13th. In a one-off appearance in the
British Formula Three Championship he started on pole position for both races at Pau, won both, and set the fastest lap in each.
He stayed in the Formula 3 Euro Series for
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto ...
but moved to the
ASM team, for which
Jamie Green,
Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes. In Formula One, Hamilton has won a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Mic ...
, and
Paul di Resta won the previous three titles.
Sébastien Buemi led the championship in the early stages but Grosjean moved ahead with a victory in the ninth race of the season at Mugello.
He maintained a lead in the standings from that point onwards and won the title at the final round of the year with one race in hand.
Grosjean took pole position for the prestigious
Masters of Formula 3 race at
Zolder but finished 14th after stalling at the start.
GP2 Series
Grosjean drove for ART in the
inaugural GP2 Asia Series season alongside
Stephen Jelley, winning both races of the first round of the championship. He went on to win the championship with four race victories and sixty-one points overall.
He stayed with
ART Grand Prix team for the
2008 GP2 Series
The 2008 GP2 Series season was the forty-second season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also fourth season under the GP2 Series moniker. It began on 26 April at Montmeló, Spain and it finished on 14 September at Monza, I ...
. His teammates were
Luca Filippi and
Sakon Yamamoto.
In the first round at the
Circuit de Catalunya
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya () is a motorsport race track in Montmeló, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is seen as an all-rounder circuit. The track has stands ...
, Grosjean started 11th after engine problems in qualifying. He rose through the field to finish fifth in the feature race, giving him fourth on the grid for the shorter sprint race. After a good start Grosjean was up to second and then passed Kobayashi for the lead. But Grosjean made a mistake on a late rolling restart and Kobayashi tried to pass him again for the lead. Grosjean moved across on Kobayashi to keep the position but the stewards decided his defensive move was illegal and gave him a drive-through penalty dropping him to 13th at the end of the race. Victory in the sprint race at Istanbul, the fourth round of the season, moved Grosjean into second place in the championship. Despite dropping back from this position, he finished the season fourth and achieved the distinction of being the highest-placed rookie in the championship.
2008 Formula 3 Euro Series
The 2008 Formula 3 Euro Series season was the sixth championship year of Europe's premier Formula Three series. The season was dominated by 21-year-old German Nico Hülkenberg, who won seven of the season's ten feature races amassing 76 of his tot ...
champion
Nico Hülkenberg joined
Pastor Maldonado at ART for 2009, forcing Grosjean out of the team. Nonetheless, Renault placed him at 2008 team champions Campos Grand Prix for 2009, now known as
Barwa Addax
Addax, or Barwa Addax was a Spanish motorsport team owned by the bank Addax Capital, which competed in the GP2, GP3 and GP2 Asia Series.
Team history
GP2 Series
Barwa Addax was formed as a result of Alejandro Agag purchase of the Campos ...
. Despite missing the last four rounds, Grosjean finished fourth in the championship standings.
Initial stint in Formula One
Grosjean was confirmed as
Renault's test driver for , replacing
Nelson Piquet Jr., who graduated to a race seat. He drove a Formula One car for the first time at the UK round of the
2008 World Series by Renault
The 2008 World Series by Renault was the fourth season of Renault Sport
Renault Sport () or Renaultsport, was the motorsport, performance and special vehicles division for Renault-badged cars. Renault Sport was officially established in 1976 ...
weekend at
Silverstone on 7 and 8 June 2008, where he gave a number of demonstrations of the previous year's
R27 car.
Renault (2009)
He initially continued in the test driver role at Renault for 2009 but took over Piquet's seat in the wake of the
Crashgate controversy from the onwards. Grosjean qualified 14th at the . He was knocked out of Q2 0.323 seconds off the pace of teammate
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver currently competing for Alpine in Formula One. He won the series' World Drivers' Championship in and with Renault, and has also driven for McLaren, Ferrari, and M ...
. He finished 15th in the race after a first-lap collision with
Luca Badoer necessitated a stop for a new front wing. For the next round in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
Grosjean qualified 19th, which he blamed on traffic and yellow flags. In the race, he was eliminated on the first lap after a collision with
Jenson Button. At the , Grosjean qualified a career-best 12th, but made a poor start, damaged his car with contact at the first corner, spun on the second lap, and finished 15th. He described himself as "very disappointed" after the race.
At the , Grosjean qualified 19th after suffering brake problems. He was hopeful of making progress in the race, but the brake problems reappeared, forcing him to retire after just three laps. At the , Grosjean qualified 18th, which he blamed on rain throughout practice preventing him from fully learning the demanding
Suzuka Circuit, which he had never driven on before. He was promoted to 17th due to Timo Glock being unable to start the race. He was unable to make progress in the race, finishing 16th after struggling with understeer throughout the race on the unfamiliar circuit. At the , Grosjean suffered an accident in practice, although he escaped unhurt. He qualified 13th in his repaired car, gained positions at the start, but then slipped back down to 13th after complaining of grip and tyre temperature problems, his best result of the season. At the season-ending , Grosjean qualified 19th, and finished 18th and last, again complaining of brake problems during the race. He said afterward that he had "learnt an enormous amount this year, especially being a teammate to Fernando".
On 31 January 2010, after the end of the season news reports had doubts that Grosjean would keep his seat into 2010,
Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufacture ...
confirmed that Grosjean's former GP2 teammate at the
Addax Team
Addax, or Barwa Addax was a Spanish motorsport team owned by the bank Addax Capital, which competed in the GP2, GP3 and GP2 Asia Series.
Team history
GP2 Series
Barwa Addax was formed as a result of Alejandro Agag purchase of the Campos ...
,
Vitaly Petrov would be the team's second driver alongside
Robert Kubica
Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing and rally driver. He was the first and, , the only Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. Between 2006 and 2009 he drove for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test d ...
for the
2010 season, leaving Grosjean without a Formula One drive for 2010. However, in September 2010, it was confirmed by tyre manufacturer
Pirelli that Grosjean would complete a test for the company, in anticipation of their return to supplying tyres to the F1 grid in 2011. Grosjean replaced
Nick Heidfeld, who left his testing duties to take up a race seat at
Sauber.
Stint outside of Formula One
Sportscars
After leaving Formula One, Grosjean became involved in sportscar racing. In March 2010, Grosjean secured a drive in the inaugural
FIA GT1 World Championship, driving a
Ford GT1 for the
Matech Competition team alongside German driver
Thomas Mutsch. The pairing won the opening Championship Race of the season in
Abu Dhabi and added a second victory at
Brno in May to lead the standings after the first three rounds of the season.
In June 2010, Grosjean made his debut in the famous
Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race, sharing a Ford GT1 with Mutsch and
Jonathan Hirschi. After qualifying third in the LMGT1 class, they were forced to retire from the race after 171 laps.
Auto GP
In June 2010, Grosjean made a return to single-seaters, racing for the DAMS team in the third round of the
Auto GP season at
Spa-Francorchamps. After dominating practice and taking pole position, he won the feature race before finishing second to
Carlos Iaconelli in the sprint event. Over the course of the weekend, Grosjean accumulated 18 points out of a possible 19 on offer and took away €80,000 prize money as the event's top points scorer. He went on to win three more races to take the title at
Monza
Monza (, ; lmo, label= Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of M ...
16 points ahead of runner-up
Edoardo Piscopo
Edoardo Piscopo (born 4 February 1988) is an Italian racing driver.
Career
Formula BMW
After previously competing in karting, Piscopo began his single seater career in Formula BMW USA in 2005, where despite missing the first rounds he fini ...
.
Return to GP2
On 20 July 2010, Grosjean announced that he would return to GP2 with the DAMS team. He replaced the then Renault test driver
Jérôme d'Ambrosio
Jérôme D’Ambrosio (born 27 December 1985) is a Belgian former professional racing driver, motorsport executive and former Team Principal of Venturi Racing in Formula E.
He has previously driven for Marussia Virgin Racing and Lotus F1 in ...
for the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
round of the championship. He later substituted for D'Ambrosio's injured teammate,
Ho-Pin Tung
Ho-Pin Tung (; born December 4, 1982) is a Chinese-Dutch racing driver who races with a Chinese license.
Career
Born in Velp, Gelderland, Netherlands, Tung started kart racing in the Netherlands in 1997 before graduating to single-seaters. ...
, from the
Belgian round onwards (despite Tung recovering and returning to the series with a different team), finishing 3rd in Belgium and
Abu Dhabi to take fourteenth place in the drivers' standings, only two positions behind D'Ambrosio.
Grosjean returned to GP2 full-time with DAMS for the 2011
GP2 Series and
GP2 Asia Series seasons. He took two pole positions and one race victory to win the Asia Series by six points from
Jules Bianchi
Jules Lucien André Bianchi (; 3 August 1989 – 17 July 2015) was a French motor racing driver who drove for the Marussia F1 Team in the FIA Formula One World Championship.
Bianchi had previously raced in Formula Renault 3.5, GP2 and Form ...
, and also won the first race of the main series to lead that championship as well. He lost the championship lead to
Giedo van der Garde, after the second round of the series, after an event which was hampered by disqualification due to a technical infringement, but regained it again the following week at
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign
''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word ...
, scoring points in both races despite starting from last place on the grid. After scoring four further wins as part of a mid-season run that included six consecutive podium finishes, he pulled clear of his pursuers and clinched the championship at the penultimate round at
Spa-Francorchamps.
Return to Formula One
Lotus (2012–2015)
At the start of , Grosjean returned to the newly branded
Lotus Renault GP team as one of five test drivers along with
Bruno Senna,
Ho-Pin Tung
Ho-Pin Tung (; born December 4, 1982) is a Chinese-Dutch racing driver who races with a Chinese license.
Career
Born in Velp, Gelderland, Netherlands, Tung started kart racing in the Netherlands in 1997 before graduating to single-seaters. ...
,
Jan Charouz and
Fairuz Fauzy
Muhammad Fairuz bin Mohd Fauzy (born 24 October 1982 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) is a Malaysian professional race car driver.
Early career
Fairuz started competing in karting events in 1994 before making the move to British Formula Ford a ...
. Lotus Renault had planned to run
Robert Kubica
Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing and rally driver. He was the first and, , the only Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. Between 2006 and 2009 he drove for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test d ...
and
Vitaly Petrov throughout 2011 but Kubica had a horrific rally accident and was unable to drive during 2011. Former
BMW Sauber teammate
Nick Heidfeld replaced Kubica for the first 11 races before himself being replaced by Senna from the Belgian Grand Prix onwards. In late October 2011, Lotus Renault announced that Grosjean would drive in the first Friday free practice session in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (replacing Senna) and the Brazilian Grand Prix (replacing Petrov).
On 9 December 2011, it was announced that Grosjean would make his comeback to Formula One in , taking the second seat at the newly renamed
Lotus F1 Team (formerly
Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufacture ...
, the team that Grosjean raced with in 2009) alongside World Champion
Kimi Räikkönen.
2012
At the , Grosjean set the second fastest time in the final free practice session, and while teammate Räikkönen was eliminated in the first part of qualifying, Grosjean made it into the top ten – for the first time, as his previous best was twelfth place – and ultimately qualified in third position. He fell to sixth at the start and retired on the second lap after a collision with
Pastor Maldonado, which broke his right-front suspension. At the
2012 Bahrain Grand Prix he finished third, collecting his first Formula One podium and the first for a French driver since
Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi (born Giovanni Alesi, 11 June 1964) is a French professional racing driver of Italian origin. After successes in minor categories, notably winning the 1989 Formula 3000 Championship, his Formula One career included spells at Tyrrell ...
at the
1998 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1998 Belgian Grand Prix (formally the LVI Foster's Belgian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 30 August 1998, at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps; it was the thirteenth race of the 1998 FIA Formula One World Championship. The ra ...
. In
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
Grosjean started third, finished fourth and set his first fastest lap in Formula One; the first for a French driver since Alesi at the
1996 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1996 Monaco Grand Prix (formally the LIV Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco) was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on 19 May 1996. It was the sixth race of the 1996 Formula One season. The race was run in very wet weather, and set a rec ...
. At the
2012 Canadian Grand Prix, he collected his second Formula One podium with a career best finish of second, behind
Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes. In Formula One, Hamilton has won a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Mic ...
.
At
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
, Grosjean was running second when the car's electronics malfunctioned forcing Grosjean's first mechanical-related retirement of the season. At the , Grosjean topped the timesheets during the first free practice session, but qualifying did not go as well; at the end of Q2 he spun into the gravel at the final corner after managing to get into Q3, this meant he could not take any further part in qualifying and started from tenth, although he was promoted to ninth after
Nico Hülkenberg received a grid penalty. At the start of the race, he was involved in an incident with
Paul di Resta, which forced a pit stop for a new front wing. However, Grosjean fought back through the field to finish in sixth just behind his teammate. At the , Grosjean started nineteenth due to a gearbox penalty and finished eighteenth after picking up a puncture on lap one. A week later, at the , Grosjean qualified second, the first time a French Formula One driver had started on the front row of the grid since Alesi at the
1999 French Grand Prix
The 1999 French Grand Prix (formally the LXXXV Mobil 1 Grand Prix de France) was a Formula One motor race held on 27 June 1999 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours near Magny-Cours, France. It was the seventh race of the 1999 Formula One season. ...
; Grosjean finished third in the race behind Hamilton and teammate Räikkönen.
At
Spa
A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneothe ...
Grosjean caused a multi-car pile-up at the start of the race, with Hamilton,
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver currently competing for Alpine in Formula One. He won the series' World Drivers' Championship in and with Renault, and has also driven for McLaren, Ferrari, and M ...
and
Sergio Pérez all eliminated from the race as well as Grosjean; the incident was started when Grosjean drove into Hamilton on the approach to the La Source corner.
Grosjean was given a one race ban post-race (the first driver to be banned since
Michael Schumacher in ), as well as a fine of €50,000, with the FIA saying in a statement "The stewards regard this incident as an extremely serious breach of the regulations, which had the potential to cause injury to others. It eliminated leading championship contenders from the race. The stewards note
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mech ...
the team conceded the action was an extremely serious mistake and an error of judgement. Neither the team nor the driver made any submission in mitigation of penalty."
[ He was replaced for the ]2012 Italian Grand Prix
The 2012 Italian Grand Prix (formally known as the Formula 1 Gran Premio Santander d'Italia 2012) was a Formula One motor race that took place at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Monza, Italy on 9 September 2012. It was the thirteenth race of ...
by Lotus test and reserve driver Jérôme d'Ambrosio
Jérôme D’Ambrosio (born 27 December 1985) is a Belgian former professional racing driver, motorsport executive and former Team Principal of Venturi Racing in Formula E.
He has previously driven for Marussia Virgin Racing and Lotus F1 in ...
. His team boss, Éric Boullier said that Grosjean learned an important lesson following his ban, however at the , Grosjean crashed into Mark Webber at the first corner with Webber branding him a "first lap nutcase". Grosjean's actions were condemned by many drivers in the paddock. At the , Grosjean was involved in another first lap incident. In São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
Grosjean hit the back of Pedro de la Rosa's HRT in qualifying.
On 14–16 December Grosjean won the Race of Champions after a Grand Final victory over Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le ...
legend Tom Kristensen at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...
. The day before Grosjean finished in second place in the Nations' Cup event along with his teammate Sébastien Ogier in the French team, after defeat by Germany's Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher.
On 17 December 2012, it was confirmed that Grosjean would stay at Lotus for the season.
2013
He had three points-scoring finishes at the three opening races before receiving a new chassis to help his chances at Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
; he qualified 11th and climbed to third. At the next race in Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
, his suspension failed on lap 9. At the , Grosjean had three crashes during the practice sessions, leading his team principal, Boullier, to tell Grosjean to "wake up". He qualified 13th but his race ended when he crashed into the back of Daniel Ricciardo, earning him a 10-place grid penalty for the next race. At the he started last on the grid due to the grid penalty but ran as high as eighth in the race before finishing 13th as he had to stop for a third time due to heavy tyre wear. On the first lap of the , Grosjean made contact with Mark Webber, damaging the front wing of Webber's car. Grosjean retired on the last lap while in 8th position due to serious front wing damage. At the after qualifying 5th he led the race for a while and seemed to be on a faster pace than Sebastian Vettel but the intervention of the safety car changed the race. He was forced to let his teammate Kimi Räikkönen pass towards the end of the race as Räikkönen had faster tyres. Grosjean resisted Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver currently competing for Alpine in Formula One. He won the series' World Drivers' Championship in and with Renault, and has also driven for McLaren, Ferrari, and M ...
to earn his second podium of the season behind Vettel and Räikkönen.
At the Grosjean qualified 3rd on the grid but finished the race in 6th position after receiving a drive-through penalty for crossing the white line as he overtook Felipe Massa
Felipe Massa (, born 25 April 1981) is a Brazilian racing driver. He competed in 15 seasons of Formula One between 2002 and 2017, where he scored 11 Grand Prix victories, 41 podiums and finished as championship runner-up in 2008 by one poi ...
. After the race, he was given a further 20-second time penalty for colliding with Jenson Button, however, this did not affect his final position. At the Grosjean qualified 7th on the grid, and Lotus chose to operate a one-stop strategy on Grosjean's car. Later in the race, he was sent off track by Sergio Pérez while Pérez was attempting an overtake – Pérez received a drive-through penalty for the incident. Grosjean finished the race in 8th position after being overtaken by Massa towards the end of the race. At the Grosjean qualified 13th as both Lotuses showed a slow pace in practice. After a slow pit stop, he came back to finish in 8th after many overtaking moves and resisting Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes. In Formula One, Hamilton has won a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Mic ...
on the last lap. In Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
Grosjean had a difficult weekend full of mechanical problems; and despite qualifying 3rd, he was forced to retire due to an engine issue. At the he qualified 4th and was moved up to third on the grid after a grid penalty for Webber. He made a good start in which he overtook Hamilton and was closing on Vettel until the safety car came out. This intervention aided Räikkönen's progression up the order, and after a small mistake, Grosjean was overtaken by his teammate. Grosjean maintained position behind Räikkönen and secured his third podium of the season, in third.
The next weekend, at Suzuka, he qualified 4th. After a poor start by the Red Bulls on the front row, Grosjean took the lead into the first corner and showed a good pace compared to the Red Bulls behind him, leading almost half the race. Vettel passed him on lap 28 and he was also later overtaken by Mark Webber, and finished 3rd for the second straight race. In India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
, Grosjean failed to reach Q2 on medium tyres to save softer tyres, and he ultimately qualified 17th. In the race, he had a longer first stint with soft tyres to apply a one pit stop strategy that worked perfectly as he finished 3rd behind Vettel and Rosberg after overtaking Massa and then Räikkönen who forced him off the track on his first overtaking attempt. At Abu Dhabi, after qualifying 7th (and being promoted to 6th due to teammate Räikkönen's penalty), he had another strong start and strong race, finishing 4th. At the , Grosjean had a good qualifying session and earned the 3rd spot on the grid behind Vettel and Webber. In the race, Grosjean had a strong start once again, by overtaking Webber and nearly overtaking Vettel. Leading a lap during the pit stop phase, Grosjean finished 2nd by holding off Webber despite numerous overtaking attempts.
On 29 November 2013, it was confirmed that Grosjean would continue with Lotus in 2014.
2014
A new rule for the 2014 season allowed the drivers to pick a car number to use for their entire career. Grosjean was awarded his first choice of number 8. He explained his choice of number on his Facebook page: "Simply I like this number, plus it has some signification to me. My wife was born on 8 December, we started dating in 2008 and besides, to my eyes my son is the 8th wonder of the world. That's why I picked up number 8." Among all the races in 2014, he was only able to score on two occasions and claim 8 points.
2015
In 2015, Lotus produced a much better car, which was powered by a Mercedes engine. Grosjean showed great potential in testing, but mechanical problems in Australia and a spin after contact with Sergio Pérez in Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
prevented Grosjean from scoring points. But after the first two troubled races, Grosjean recorded good performances in China and Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
, finishing 7th on both occasions. In Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
, Lotus struggled in practice and qualifying and Grosjean missed out on Q3 for the first time in the season. But in the race, his pace improved and he finished 8th, despite making contact with Pastor Maldonado in the opening laps and a mistake in the pits, both of which cost him some time. In Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign
''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word ...
, Grosjean was on for his fourth consecutive points finish, despite a grid penalty for a gearbox change, but he was hit by Max Verstappen while battling for position. Grosjean managed to rejoin, but lost time and finished 12th.
In Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
, Lotus had one of the fastest cars and Grosjean qualified in an impressive 5th place. In the race, he was in the top 5 but made contact with the Marussia of Will Stevens, which punctured his tyre. Grosjean had to pit for new tyres, but managed to recover and finished in the points. In Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, he was racing in the top 10, but he had a mechanical issue and could not finish the race. In Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
, he retired on lap 1 after contact with Daniel Ricciardo and teammate Maldonado. In Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...
, he struggled again and even had a penalty for an unsafe release in the pits. But near the end of the race, he made up a lot of positions due to other drivers having problems. In the end, he managed to repeat his best finish of the season of 7th, finishing ahead of Nico Rosberg's Mercedes. In Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
, Lotus again had one of the fastest cars and Grosjean qualified in 4th, but started 9th, because of a penalty. In the race, he consistently gained positions, and a few laps before the finish, Grosjean was running 4th. Ahead of him was Vettel, who was on very old tyres, and Grosjean caught up with him with 5 laps to go. He was not able to overtake, but Vettel's right rear tyre exploded on the penultimate lap. Grosjean moved into the podium positions, to record his first such result since 2013. After the race, Grosjean said that he cried on the last lap.
In Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
Grosjean once again made it into Q3, qualifying in 8th, but was involved in some contact in turn 1, which caused his retirement. In Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, he was forced to retire a few laps before the end because of a suspected gearbox issue. In Japan, Grosjean was in 6th place after the start but lost a position during the first stops to Nico Hülkenberg. Near the end of the race, he was under pressure from Maldonado, who had closed the gap to just over a second, but Grosjean managed to retain his 7th position to the finish and scored points for the first time since Belgium.
Haas F1 Team (2016–2020)
2016
On 29 September 2015, it was announced that Grosjean would race for the Haas F1 Team, who were joining the Formula One grid for the season. He was partnered by former Sauber driver and Ferrari test driver Esteban Gutiérrez. In the team's first race, the , Grosjean finished sixth to record Haas' first points and making them the first team since Toyota Racing Toyota Racing may refer to:
* Toyota Gazoo Racing
* Toyota Motorsport GmbH
* Toyota Racing (Formula One team)
* Toyota Racing Development
* Toyota Racing Series
See also
* Toda Racing, Japanese corporation
* Toyota Supra in motorsport
* Toyota i ...
to score points in their debut. He was eventually voted Formula One's first Driver of the Day. Grosjean scored again in the following by finishing in fifth position, winning Driver of the Day again.
Following Jenson Button's retirement from full-time racing, the members of the GPDA elected Grosjean to replace Button as one of the directors of the GPDA in May 2017.
2017
Grosjean drove for Haas for the 2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
season where he partnered Kevin Magnussen. He had multiple retirements, such as in the 2017 Australian Grand Prix
The 2017 Australian Grand Prix (formally known as the 2017 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race that took place on 26 March 2017 in Melbourne. The race was contested over fifty-seven laps of the Melbourne Grand Prix ...
, where he retired due to a water leak. His second retirement came at the 2017 Russian Grand Prix
The 2017 Russian Grand Prix (russian: links=no, Гран-при России 2017 года, translit=Gran-pri Rossii 2017 goda), officially known as the 2017 Formula 1 VTB Russian Grand Prix, was a Formula One motor race that took place on 30 Apri ...
, when he had a collision with Jolyon Palmer. His third and final retirement of the season was in the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix
The 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix (formally the Formula 1 Pirelli Magyar Nagydíj 2017) was a Formula One motor race that took place on 30 July 2017 at the Hungaroring in Mogyoród, Hungary. The 2017 event was the 32nd time that the race has been run ...
due to a wheel nut
A lug nut or wheel nut is a fastener, specifically a nut, used to secure a wheel on a vehicle. Typically, lug nuts are found on automobiles, trucks (lorries), and other large vehicles using rubber tires.
Design
A lug nut is a nut fastener wi ...
. He scored 28 points in total from 8 occasions and finished the season 13th.
2018
Haas retained Grosjean for the 2018 season where he again partnered Magnussen. At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Grosjean crashed behind the safety car whilst running in 6th place. His engineer incorrectly blamed the cause of the crash on Sauber driver Marcus Ericsson, saying, "I think Ericsson hit us." At the Spanish Grand Prix, Grosjean was the cause of a crash on the opening lap. Whilst making his way through turn 3, he lost control of his Haas after running through dirty air. This caused him to spin across the track into the path of the cars behind him, causing a large amount of smoke in the process. He was then hit by Hülkenberg and Gasly, eliminating all three from the race. In the Austrian Grand Prix, Grosjean finished 4th, his best result in his career at Haas, and his first points finish in 2018. Grosjean was disqualified from the Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix ( it, Gran Premio d'Italia) is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix (after the French Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix), having been held since 1921. In 2013 it ...
after the floor of his car was found to be illegal, taking away a 6th-place finish; although the team appealed this, the decision was upheld. Grosjean finished the season 14th with 37 points.
2019
On 28 September 2018 it was confirmed that Haas would retain Grosjean for the 2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
season, again partnering Magnussen. Like his 2018 season, Grosjean's 2019 was plagued with reliability issues, poor luck and driver errors. Additionally, the Haas VF-19 suffered from poor pace throughout the season, often qualifying well but falling far behind during races.
The first two races saw a double retirement for Grosjean. In Australia, a wheel was incorrectly fitted during a pit stop, causing it to come loose on track in an extremely similar incident to his race in Australia the year before. In Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
he was hit by Lance Stroll on the opening lap, causing terminal damage. An 11th-place finish in China followed, before a third retirement in four races in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
due to a brake failure. Grosjean scored his first point of the season by finishing 10th in Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
, and followed this up with another 10th-place finish in Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign
''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word ...
.
Grosjean finished 14th in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
after a collision in front of him on the first lap sent debris into his car, causing him to lose positions. He then retired from the next race, his home race in France. Another retirement came two races later in Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
, after contact with teammate Magnussen on the first lap, ending the races of both drivers. Both were blamed and criticised for the incident, at a race in which Grosjean was testing the old spec of the VF-19 so that the team could understand their recent lack of pace. His best—and final—points finish of the season came in Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
, when he crossed the line in 9th place but was promoted to 7th after the Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." ...
drivers were penalised post-race for the use of driver aids.
Another retirement came in Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...
due to a hydraulics issue. In Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, Grosjean tagged George Russell during an overtake attempt, damaging his front wing and causing the Williams driver to crash into a wall. Grosjean finished the race in 11th. Another retirement followed in Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
after a first-lap collision with Daniel Ricciardo and Antonio Giovinazzi sent him into the barriers. In Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, Grosjean was running in 7th place late in the race behind Pierre Gasly and ahead of Carlos Sainz Jr., before issues with his car dropped him back to 14th by the finish line (13th after a penalty for Nico Hülkenberg). Gasly and Sainz would go on to finish 2nd and 3rd in the race.
Grosjean ended the season in 18th place in the championship with 8 points, his worst full-season in Formula One.
2020
On 19 September 2019, Haas announced that Grosjean would remain with the team for the 2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...
season alongside Magnussen.
At the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, Grosjean suffered a serious crash on the first lap in which his Haas VF-20 hit a barrier at high speed, splitting the car in half, releasing the fuel and making the car burn. The force and angle of the impact caused the driver's compartment and the front half of the car to be wedged into the barrier, while the rear half was separated from the rest of the vehicle, igniting the car immediately upon impact.
The impact was measured at . He was able to exit the car unaided, and was helped away from the crash scene by Alan van der Merwe and Ian Roberts, with minor burn injuries to his hands and ankles before being airlifted to a nearby military hospital. The crash caused a red flag Red flag may refer to:
* Red flag (idiom), a metaphor for something signalling a problem
** Red flag warning, a term used by meteorologists
** Red flag (battle ensign), maritime flag signaling an intention to give battle with no quarter (fight to ...
for more than an hour to recover the chassis and repair the damaged barrier section. The halo
Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to:
* Halo (optical phenomenon)
* Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head
HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Video games
* Halo (franchise), ...
-head protective device, introduced in Formula One in 2018, was credited with saving his life: it sheltered Grosjean's head and body from coming into contact with the barrier upon collision. Grosjean ultimately missed the last 2 races of the season, and was replaced by Pietro Fittipaldi.
Grosjean's contract with Haas was not renewed after 2020. He underwent surgery for his injuries on 16 December.
Mercedes test
Grosjean was due to test drive the Mercedes AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+, which won the 2019 Formula One World Championship, for a full day of testing with the team at the 2021 French Grand Prix. The test was delayed due to pandemic related travel restrictions.
IndyCar
From 2021 onward Grosjean chose to compete in the IndyCar Series
The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices o ...
.
Dale Coyne Racing (2021)
For 2021 Grosjean competed on a joint deal between Dale Coyne Racing and Rick Ware Racing with backing from Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
. Grosjean was scheduled to only participate in the street
A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of d ...
and road course events in the 2021 season but he later announced after the Indianapolis 500 that he would run the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 to get experience racing on ovals for a potential full schedule in 2022. Because his only oval race would be on what IndyCar considers a short oval Haas F1 Team colleague Pietro Fittipaldi was signed to replace Grosjean for IndyCar's three races on superspeedways, the double header at Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas. The reconfigured track measures with banked 20° in turns 1 and 2 and banked 2 ...
and the 2021 Indianapolis 500
The 2021 Indianapolis 500 (branded as the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge for sponsorship reasons) was a 500-mile (800 km, 200 lap) race in the 2021 IndyCar Series, held on May 30, 2021, at the Indianapolis ...
.
Grosjean quickly adapted to IndyCar racing and immediately showed pace. He recorded three podium finishes on the season; two second-place finishes at both rounds on the IMS Road Course and a third-place finish Laguna Seca. In addition he made the final round of qualifying at both rounds on the IMS Road Course and Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
, Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...
, and Long Beach. The highpoint of Grosjean's season was at the first round at Indianapolis, where after sitting out for two weeks he returned and out qualified fellow rookie Scott McLaughlin
Scott Thomas McLaughlin (; born 10 June 1993) is a New Zealand racing driver. He currently competes in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 3 Dallara-Chevrolet for Team Penske. He previously raced in the Supercars Championship, in which he ...
, Josef Newgarden, Jack Harvey, Conor Daly, and Alex Palou
Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis.
People
Multiple
*Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people
* Alex Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people
*Alex Harris (disambiguation), multiple peo ...
to earn his first IndyCar pole position and first pole position since May 2011, when he was on pole in GP2 at Istanbul Park with DAMS. He went on to finish in second place behind winner Rinus VeeKay. Other highlights included making up ten positions at Laguna Seca, several passes of which he made at the famed "Corkscrew", the location of Alex Zanardi's iconic pass on Bryan Herta in 1996, and his first ever oval race at Gateway, where he recorded the most overtakes for the race despite finishing fourteenth. Grosjean also recorded top ten finishes at Barber
A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...
, Road America
Road America is a motorsport road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, United States on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Ch ...
, and Mid-Ohio.
Grosjean's arrival to IndyCar coincided with the arrival of three-time Supercars
A supercar – also called exotic car – is a loosely defined description of street-legal, high-performance sports cars. Since the 2010s, the term hypercar has come into use for the highest performing supercars. Supercars commonly serve as t ...
champion Scott McLaughlin and seven-time NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and h ...
champion Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Johnson's seven Cup championships, ...
to the series, creating what some pundits dubbed the most intriguing rookie class to American Open Wheel Racing since the arrival of Nigel Mansell to CART in the early 1990s. Many pundits picked Grosjean to have the strongest season of the three due to his extensive open-wheel experience, picking him to be a potential candidate for IndyCar Rookie of the Year despite competing for a team with significantly fewer resources than McLaughlin's Team Penske or Johnson's Chip Ganassi Racing and not racing a full schedule. While Johnson would be the slowest to adapt to IndyCar racing and would run the fewest events of the three, McLaughlin and Grosjean were frequently measured against each other throughout the season. McLaughlin outperformed Grosjean four times during their rookie seasons; at St. Petersburg where he had made his IndyCar debut the previous year while Grosjean was racing there for the first time, at Grosjean's first-ever oval race at Gateway, and at Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
and Long Beach after Grosjean was caught up in an accident caused by other drivers on the opening laps. Grosjean's performances were so strong that despite his partial schedule he was nearly able to outscore McLaughlin for the Rookie of the Year award heading into the final race at Long Beach. Both Grosjean and McLaughlin downplayed any comparisons between the two, with Grosjean noting that comparing the two's rookie results in IndyCar did not take into account his nearly two decades of open-wheel racing compared to only one year of open-wheel racing experience for McLaughlin.
Andretti Autosport (2022 onwards)
Grosjean drove Andretti Autosport's No. 28 DHL Honda entry in the 2022 season, replacing the outgoing Ryan Hunter-Reay. Grosjean underwent his rookie orientation at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on October 5, 2021, and confirmed that he will be racing in the 2022 Indianapolis 500 along with the entire 2022 schedule. Grosjean picked up his first podium with Andretti Autosport at Long Beach, nearly taking the win from Josef Newgarden before an accident caused by Takuma Sato caused the race to finish under caution. He managed to advance to Q2 in his first Indianapolis 500 but ultimately crashed out of the race. Overall 2022 was a difficult season for Grosjean, as he struggled with bad luck and on track contact with teammates and other drivers.
Personal life
Grosjean married French journalist and television presenter Marion Jollès on 27 June 2012 in Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( frp, Chamôni), more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. In 2019, it ha ...
. They have been together since 2008. On 29 July 2013, Marion gave birth to a son, Sacha. They have a second child named Simon who was born on 16 May 2015 and a daughter named Camille who was born on 31 December 2017. After Grosjean signed with Andretti Autosport and committed to racing full time in the IndyCar series he announced that he and his family would be moving to Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...
due to the city's selection of French-language schools and the ability to get direct flights between Miami and Paris.
Other ventures
Grosjean holds endorsements with various brands including Christian Roth
Christian Roth (born in Hanover, Germany) is a designer of luxury eyewear, co-founder with Eric Domege of the eponymous brands Christian Roth and Optical Affairs.
Biography
Roth is the son to Dr. Fritz-Jürgen and Sabine Roth, geb. von Prittwit ...
(Via DITA Eyewear), Richard Mille
Richard Mille is a Swiss luxury watch company founded in 2001 by Dominique Guenat and Richard Mille, and based in Les Breuleux, Switzerland. The brand specialises in ultra-high-end luxury watches.
Company history Introduction
After studying m ...
, Bell Sports, and Seier Capital.
In 2014 Grosjean was featured in French disc jockey David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...
's music video titled " Dangerous".
In October 2017 Grosjean launched ''Cuisine et Confidences'', a cookbook he authored with his wife.
Grosjean also founded R8G eSports, a sim racing team.
He also has his own YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...
Channel called Romain Grosjean Official with 255K subscribers which he launched in November 2017.
Racing record
Karting career summary
Racing career summary
† As Grosjean was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
* Season still in progress.
Single seater racing results
Complete Formula 3 Euro Series results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete GP2 Asia Series results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete GP2 Series results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Auto GP results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Formula One results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.
American open-wheel racing results
IndyCar Series
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Indianapolis 500
Sports car racing results
Complete GT1 World Championship results
( key)
24 Hours of Le Mans results
Notes
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Grosjean, Romain
1986 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Geneva
French racing drivers
French Formula One drivers
Renault Formula One drivers
Lotus F1 Formula One drivers
Swiss racing drivers
French Formula Renault 2.0 drivers
Formula Renault 2.0 Alps drivers
Formula Renault Eurocup drivers
Formula Lista Junior drivers
Formula 3 Euro Series drivers
Formula 3 Euro Series champions
British Formula Three Championship drivers
GP2 Series drivers
GP2 Asia Series champions
GP2 Asia Series drivers
Auto GP drivers
FIA GT1 World Championship drivers
GP2 Series Champions
IndyCar Series drivers
Indianapolis 500 drivers
Swiss-French people
Swiss expatriate sportspeople in France
French people of Swiss descent
Swiss people of French descent
24 Hours of Spa drivers
Haas Formula One drivers
Twitch (service) streamers
SG Formula drivers
Signature Team drivers
ART Grand Prix drivers
Campos Racing drivers
DAMS drivers
Dale Coyne Racing drivers
Andretti Autosport drivers