Five years since horrific 'fireball' crash at Bahrain GP, Romain Grosjean is back in F1 as..

After surviving a terrifying fireball crash that left him badly burned, French driver Romain Grosjean is back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car. Nearly five years ago, during the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, Grosjean’s car broke through the barrier on the exit of Turn 3 and exploded into flames, making it one of the most shocking and dangerous accidents in F1 history. Miraculously, he escaped with serious burns on his hands but survived against all odds. Now, Grosjean will test the Haas VF-23 car at the Mugello circuit this Friday (Sep 25), marking his long-awaited return to Formula 1.

What happened in the fireball crash?

In the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, Grosjean’s car crashed into a barrier at high speed and burst into flames. The accident was one of the most shocking moments in recent Formula 1 history. Miraculously, Grosjean escaped with serious burns on both hands but survived against all odds. That race was his 179th and final Grand Prix in Formula 1 before he moved to race in the IndyCar series in the United States.

Since then, Grosjean has competed in IndyCar, earning six podium finishes and three pole positions in four seasons. But now, invited by his old team Haas, he will return to Formula 1 for a special test session called Testing of Previous Car (TPC) at the Mugello track in Italy.

Haas Team Principal, Ayao Komatsu, who has worked closely with Grosjean throughout his career, was quoted as saying to IANS, "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.”

Grosjean is excited to be back at F1

Grosjean himself expressed his excitement, saying, "To say I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car would naturally be an understatement. 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."

Adding a personal touch, Grosjean revealed that he will wear the helmet designed by his children, which he had planned to use for his farewell race in Abu Dhabi in 2020.