Romain Grosjean, ready for the American adventure

Romain Grosjean is one of the great attractions of the weekend. Now settled in Uncle Sam's country, the Genevan is preparing for his debut in IndyCar this Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. A new start for the now former pilot of F1.

« This first race in IndyCar means a lot to me for different reasons, he says. First of all because it is a very exciting challenge for me with Dale Coyne Racing and RWR (Rick Ware Racing). But also because it is my first race 140 days after my accident in Bahrain. Coming back to competition means a lot to me so there is a lot of excitement as the race approaches ».

#INDYCAR #DefyEverything @IndyCar @DaleCoyneRacing @RickWareRacing @iBanFirst @Richard_Mille @MindMazeTech @praga_official pic.twitter.com/SZz6qkIgRJ

- Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean) April 8, 2021

To arrive in the best possible conditions and familiarize himself with his new discipline, Romain Grosjean was given test sessions. “ There's a lot of new stuff to digest, told his engineer Olivier Boisson in our columns.

But after discovering the car at Barber, his times were already much better at Laguna Seca ».

The leap into the unknown

Ready for his start, the Frenchman is nevertheless aware that the matter will not be easy, despite his experience in Formula 1. “ There's still a lot to take in, he admits two days before his IndyCar debut. My goal this weekend is to learn as much as I can about IndyCar. The way to race, how to manage tires, fuel.

We only had three days of driving and we didn't even use the soft qualifying tires. So it will be a challenge ».

« In the first races, if we qualify in the Top 12 it will be good » explains Olivier Boisson. And to Sébastien Bourdais (AJ Foyt Racing) to continue. “ We know his talent but he will have to learn the majority of the tracks ».

Romain Grosjean is embarking on a unique adventure on the other side of the Atlantic. Only involved in road and urban circuits, the Genevan does not set any real objectives for his first year, just like his team. In the meantime, he hopes to gain as much experience as possible before tackling a full season with the title in his sights in 2022.

The Alabama Grand Prix is ​​scheduled for this Sunday, April 18 at 21:30 p.m. (French time).