Romain Grosjean still sore but “really happy” with IndyCar test debut
Romain Grosjean says he is&n🎃bsp;“really happy” wit🧜h his IndyCar test debut in what marked his return to a racecar for the first time since his Formula 1 crash in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The 34-year-old Frenchman completed 83 laps as he took p✅art in a 12-car IndyCar test on Tuesday, having signed up to race in the American championship for 2021 with Dale Coyn♕e Racing following his departure from the Haas F1 team.
Grosj🧜ean, who will contest all 13 road and street courses but skip the oval rounds on the 2021 IndyCar schedule, was delighted with his performance, despite suffering a spin and soreness as he continues to recover from the in🌼juries he sustained in his fiery accident in Bahrain last November.
"It felt like home," Grosjean t♕old IndyCar.com. "I didn't have any apprehension or anything. It's obviously a new car and I had to adjust a little bit to my new driving position, but things quickly felt quite smooth.
"I then discovered the joys of not having a power steering wheel. I don't regret all the hours in the gym, but maybe I'll do some more, just iღn 🐓case!
// — NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar)“You can actually use different lines, whereas in Formula 1 you 🎃may be more stuck to the ideal line because of how the aerodynamics work.
“I made a mistake this morning, and I spun [in🐲 Turn 1]. I was stuck in the gravel. [The track] has consequences, and you need to stay within the limits, which I always quite enjoy.”
Grosjean admitted his first outing since his terrifying Bahrain crash was “a bit painful”, but felt his left hand - which was🔯 badly burned as he escaped his car - held up well to the test.
"It's actually done very well," Grosjean explained. "I had a big sn💛ap on the last run [of the morning], and that was a bit painful. I expect those. I know it's not fully recovered and is sensitive.
"It went OK. It's not perfect, there's a nice big 🌸blister on my left thumb which is not pretty but driving wise it was OK. I was being a bit careful on some of the kerbs, but generally it hasn't been a limitation.
"I didn't really f𝓡eel it in the car so I guess that was fine. Putting the gloves on and off is not 🀅always nice so I tend to keep my left glove on, but generally it's been OK."
Lewis regularly att♏ends Grands Prix for wuqian0821.com around the world. Often reporting on the action✱ from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
