Romain Grosjean to test Mercedes title-winner at Paul Ricard

Mercedes

Grosjean to test Mercedes title-winner at Paul Ricard

Grosjean has not driven an F1 car since his Bahrain crash last year

Sam Hall

Wednesday 5 May 2021 09:56 Updated: 12:35

Mercedes and Romain Grosjean have confirmed the Frenchman will complete a farewell test in the 2019 W10 after the French Grand Prix next month.

After Grosjean suffered a horrific crash at last year's Bahrain Grand Prix and was prevented from competing in the final two races due to injuries sustained, the Frenchman vowed he would return to the cockpit of an F1 car before his career was over.

Upon hearing this, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said publicly he would be happy to "provide him with such an opportunity" this should none of Grosjean's former employers be in a position to do so.

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On Wednesday, Mercedes revealed Grosjean had visited the team's Brackley factory in March to attend a seat fitting with the Frenchman to complete a demo run on the Sunday of the French Grand Prix weekend ahead of a test, also at Paul Ricard, on June 29 following the race.

"I am so excited to jump back in an F1 car!" said Grosjean. "It will be a special opportunity for me and to drive a World Championship-winning Mercedes will be a unique experience. "I'm very grateful to Mercedes F1 and to Toto for the opportunity. The first I heard about the chance to drive a Mercedes was in my hospital bed in Bahrain when Toto was speaking to the media and made the invitation. Reading that news cheered me up a lot! "F1 didn't get the chance to race in France during 2020 because of COVID so driving a Mercedes at the French Grand Prix in 2021 and then completing a test at the Circuit Paul Ricard, my home track, will be so special. I can't wait for the day to arrive."

Wolff added: "We are very happy to support Romain with this special opportunity. The idea first came when it looked like Romain would be ending his active career in Formula One, and we didn't want his accident to be his last moment in an F1 car. "I have known Romain since his days in Formula Three when he won the Championship. He enjoyed a long and successful F1 career and we wanted to make sure that his final memories would be at the wheel of a championship-winning car. I'm excited to see what Romain's feedback on the W10 is. "Romain's accident reminds us of the dangers these guys face each time they climb into the cockpit but it's also a testament to the incredible steps this sport has taken to improve safety over the years. I know the F1 community will celebrate seeing Romain back on track."