Grosjean makes his return to F1, while Magnussen contemplates his life.

      "I’m thrilled to get back behind the wheel."

      26 September 2025 - 10:35

      Romain Grosjean is returning to drive a Formula 1 car this Friday, five years after the harrowing fire incident in Bahrain that ended his grand prix career. The 39-year-old French driver is participating in a 'Testing of Previous Cars' (TPC) day at Mugello, piloting the 2023 vehicle from his previous team, Haas.

      Grosjean's last appearance in F1 was in November 2020, when he escaped a 67G crash and ensuing fire with only minor burns to his hands. This Friday's test is being supervised by several members of his former Haas team, including team principal Ayao Komatsu, who was his engineer at Lotus, and longtime mechanic Ian Staniforth.

      "I’m really thankful to Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for this opportunity," Grosjean expressed. "To say I’m excited to be back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car would definitely be an understatement."

      James Hinchcliffe, a former IndyCar driver and F1TV analyst, at 38 years old, is also making his first Formula 1 appearance in a Haas, which will feature in a broadcast during the US GP weekend.

      The Mugello session aligns with Pirelli’s 2026 tire development initiative, with both Haas and Ferrari on the track. On Thursday, Esteban Ocon tested in wet conditions, with Ollie Bearman also in attendance. Today, Charles Leclerc and Guanyu Zhou continue Ferrari's program.

      While Grosjean makes a brief return to the F1 spotlight, much of the focus on his former Haas teammate Kevin Magnussen is now directed towards his life outside of racing. In a segment of the Danish broadcaster DR’s program Fortidens Hemligheder, Magnussen shared that he has found it challenging to juggle racing with raising his two young daughters while still competing in Formula 1.

      "The last few years, with two children and racing in Formula 1, it has been extremely difficult," the 32-year-old stated. "It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever faced, being away from my children so often."

      Magnussen noted that his own upbringing influenced his perspective. His father, ex-F1 driver Jan Magnussen, was frequently absent during Kevin’s childhood due to his career. "I wasn’t present," Jan had previously told Ekstra Bladet newspaper. "The day I moved to England in 1992 was the day I learned I was going to be a father. Honestly, I’ve never been home."

      Currently racing with BMW in sports cars, Kevin Magnussen is determined that his daughters, Laura, 4, and Agnes, 2, will not have the same experience. "I didn’t want to miss their childhood," he stated. "It would be too great a price to pay."