F1 rivals made axed star 'cry'

Ricciardo and Grosjean talk in the paddock — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 rivals made axed star 'cry'

An F1 star made an emotional return

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 30 September 2025 13:04

An axed F1 star was caught in an emotional moment after their rivals ‘made them cry’.

During the break between Baku and Singapore, teams were busy testing at the Mugello Circuit as Pirelli continued to collect data for their 2026 tyres.

Both Ferrari and Haas tested in wet conditions, and the American team also gave Romain Grosjean his comeback in F1 machinery, as part of a Testing of Previous Car (TPC) event.

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The Frenchman last appeared in F1 at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, where he suffered a shocking crash that engulfed his car in flames and left him with burns on both hands.

Five years later however, Grosjean finally returned to an F1 car, in a helmet designed by his children and was supported by former race engineer, turned Haas team principal, Ayao Komatsu.

Alongside Komatsu, he also received congratulations from rival teams Ferrari and Red Bull, which Grosjean revealed ‘made him cry’.

Grosjean’s emotional F1 return

Speaking when he hopped out of the car, Grosjean said: “Five years after Bahrain, here we are at Mugello. A big thanks to the Haas F1 Team, it was a special day! Of course, Gene Haas, Ayao Komatsu, they made it happen.

“It was a wet day, but as we say with weddings, rainy wedding, happy wedding, so it was a rainy day, happy day. I felt a bit rusty at first, then everything came back. 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!

“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.

“They made me cry at the end of the day! I kept my visor down, but for my last in-lap everyone from Ferrari, Red Bull, Pirelli and of course 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.”

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