Ex-F1 driver Grosjean completes IndyCar switch with Dale Coyne Racing

Romain Grosjean has sealed a deal to compete in the 2021 IndyCar season with Dale Coyne Racing following his Formula 1 exit. 

The 34-year-old Frenchman will make the switch to America to contest his maiden IndyCar season on road and street circuits with Dale Coyne Racing, a move which had been expected following talks with a number of teams. Grosjean will take part in 13 rounds of the 17-race series, skipping the four races on ovals.

Grosjean joins fellow former F1 drivers Alexander Rossi, Marcus Ericsson, Takuma Sato and Sebastien Bourdias on the grid for the upcoming 2021 campaign, which is due to begin on 18 April at Barber Motorsports Park. 

“I’m very excited for this opportunity to race in the United States in the NTT IndyCar Series,” Grosjean said. “I had different options in front of me for this coming season and choosing to go IndyCar racing was definitively my favorite one. Although, I’m not ready yet to take on the ovals! IndyCar has a much more level playing field than what I have been used to in my career so far.

"It will be exciting to challenge for podiums and wins again. My left hand is still healing, but we are just about ready to get back into the race car and to start this next chapter of my career.”

Grosjean’s F1 career came to a premature end following his horrific crash in the Bahrain Grand Prix in November last year. 

While he was able to miraculously escape a huge impact with the barriers - which tore his Haas car in half before it burst into flames - Grosjean was left with burns to his hands that forced him to miss the final two rounds of the 2020 season. 

Grosjean and former teammate Kevin Magnussen were replaced in Haas' 2021 line-up by Formula 2 champion Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin. 

Grosjean has been sharing regular updates of his recovery process with fans on social media, revealing recently that he has finally been able to remove the bandages on his injured hands.