Romain Grosjean heads to America

There will be three French drivers this season, in IndyCar. The suspense has dragged on, but it should end this Wednesday, February 3 during a press conference where it will be announced Romain Grosjean as tenant of the No. 51 of Dale Coyne Racing. 

An agreement which must at least concern the twelve rounds contested on urban and road roads. Less than two months after escaping the flames in Bahrain and after nine full seasons in F1, the ex-pilot Haas therefore decided to continue his career in car American, where he will scrape with his compatriots in particular simon pagenaud (Team Penske) and Sébastien Bourdais (AJ Foyt Racing).

For Grosjean, IndyCar quickly emerged as the No. 1 option. According to our information, there was first a touch with AJ Foyt Racing, but the discussions quickly broke down on a question of financial means. The option of a collaboration with Dale Coyne Racing quickly emerged. For almost two months, the two parties have been talking regularly. 

The postponement of the start of the IndyCar season by more than a month due to the pandemic context also allowed the two parties to discuss calmly. Because if Saint Petersburg (Florida) had held up well on March 7, the schedule would then have been tight, even untenable. Finally, it will be in Barber, on April 18, that Romain Grosjean should contest his first race. 

It will also undoubtedly be on the Alabama road that the Frenchman should make his first laps during the last week of February. This extended off-season is all the more a blessing in disguise as it must also allow the Frenchman to treat the final after-effects of his terrible accident, in particular to regain full manual mobility, even if his convalescence is already in very good shape. path. 

In the shoes of a rookie

At 34, Grosjean is preparing to experience a season in the shoes of a rookie. To better understand his new environment, he will however be able to rely on the experience of his compatriot, Olivier Boisson, who will be his track engineer. Grosjean will also be able to count on the support of Rick Ware Racing, announced last week as a new partner of the Plainfield (Illinois) team.

To approach this new challenge with serenity, Grosjean can also find certain guarantees in the identity of his teammate, the Englishman Ed Jones, announced last week as driver of the No. 18, the single-seater operated in collaboration with Vasser Sullivan.

So here is the ex-Haas driver ready to arrive in a new world. In a team renowned for revealing talents, but which is banking this year on a duo with experience to bounce back after having been weakened in 2019 by the ousting of Bourdais. Betting on the Genevan is therefore a strong choice. Because if the grid is populated by ex-F1 drivers (Takuma Sato, Marcus Ericsson, Alexander Red, Bourdais), the Franco-Swiss is the only driver who can claim 10 podiums in the premier category.

It is therefore the undeniable headliner that Romain Grosjean will begin his adventure in IndyCar.