Romain Grosjean Bio
Romain David Jeremie Grosjean, born on 17 April 1986, is a French and Swiss racing driver who currently competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse while serving as a reserve driver in the IndyCar Series for Prema. He is best known for a decade-long Formula One career that ran from 2009 to 2020, during which he secured ten Formula One podium finishes and built a reputation as a fast but often incident-prone competitor. Following his recovery from a dramatic fiery crash in Bahrain in 2020, Grosjean reinvented himself in American open-wheel racing with Dale Coyne Racing and Andretti Autosport before transitioning to sportscar competition.
Earlier in his career, Grosjean established himself as one of the strongest junior single-seater racers of his generation, winning the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2007 and the GP2 Series championship in 2011. His versatility was further demonstrated by success in FIA GT1 and Auto GP, along with a victory at the prestigious Race of Champions in 2012. Grosjean carries car number 63 and lives with his family in Miami, Florida.
Early Life and Background
Romain David Jeremie Grosjean was born in Geneva, Switzerland, to a Swiss father and a French mother. He holds both French and Swiss nationality and grew up surrounded by motorsport and athletic heritage. His grandfather, Fernand Grosjean, won a silver medal in giant slalom at the 1950 World Ski Championship in Aspen, while his great-grandfather, Edgar Brandt, was a renowned French weapons designer and founder of the Brandt industrial group. This rich family background gave Grosjean an early connection to both speed and engineering.
From a young age, Grosjean showed a passion for competition that extended beyond racing. He began karting as a youngster in Switzerland and later transitioned to single-seater racing in 2003. Before fully committing to a professional motorsport career, he worked at a bank in Geneva, a path that provided financial security while he pursued his racing ambitions on weekends.
Path to NASCAR
Grosjean’s career has been rooted in open-wheel and endurance racing rather than stock car competition. After establishing himself in European single-seaters, Formula One, and IndyCar, he moved into sportscar racing with Lamborghini in the IMSA SportsCar Championship. While he has not pursued a direct path into NASCAR, his extensive experience across global motorsport series has given him a versatile background in high-level competition, and he remains a recognized figure in the international racing community.
Romain Grosjean Career
Early Career (2003-2008)
Grosjean began his single-seater journey in Formula LO in 2003 before moving to French Formula Renault with SG Formula the following year. In 2005, he dominated the championship with ten wins from sixteen races, immediately establishing himself as a rising talent. He progressed to the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2006, where a difficult learning year was offset by a one-off appearance in British Formula 3 at Pau, where he claimed pole position and victory in both races.
In 2007, Grosjean joined the renowned ASM team and won the Formula 3 Euro Series championship, battling closely with Sébastien Buemi and clinching the title with a race to spare. He moved to the GP2 Series in 2008 with ART Grand Prix, finishing fourth overall as the highest-placed rookie while also winning the inaugural GP2 Asia Series. The following year, he finished fourth in the main GP2 championship with Barwa Addax, cementing his reputation as one of the top junior drivers in the world.
GP2 Series Breakthrough (2010-2011)
After a brief Formula One stint with Renault in 2009, Grosjean returned to junior formulae in 2010. He won the Auto GP Series with DAMS, claiming the title at Monza with three additional race victories. He also entered the inaugural FIA GT1 World Championship with Matech Competition, winning the opening race in Abu Dhabi alongside Thomas Mutsch and adding a second victory at Brno. A debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours followed, though the trio retired after 171 laps.
In 2011, Grosjean returned to GP2 full-time with DAMS and dominated the season. He won the GP2 Asia Series title and clinched the main GP2 Series championship at the penultimate round at Spa-Francorchamps, becoming the 2011 GP2 champion. This title secured his return to Formula One with Lotus for 2012.
Formula One Breakthrough (2009, 2012-2015)
Grosjean made his Formula One debut with Renault at the 2009 European Grand Prix, replacing Nelson Piquet Jr. following the Crashgate controversy. He raced the remainder of the 2009 season alongside Fernando Alonso, gaining valuable experience as a rookie. After a year away from the grid in 2010, he returned to Formula One in 2012 with Lotus, partnering 2007 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen.
The 2012 season delivered Grosjean’s first Formula One podium at the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first for a French driver since 1998. He added podiums in Canada and Hungary and qualified on the front row at the Hungarian Grand Prix, another French first in over a decade. However, a multi-car collision at the Belgian Grand Prix led to a one-race ban, the first imposed on a driver since Michael Schumacher in 1994. He closed the year by winning the Race of Champions in Bangkok alongside his Nations’ Cup partner Sébastien Ogier.
In 2013, Grosjean added six more podiums and finished a career-best seventh in the World Drivers’ Championship. He remained with Lotus through 2015, scoring his final Formula One podium at the 2015 Belgian Grand Prix while partnered by Pastor Maldonado.
Haas Era (2016-2020)
In September 2015, Grosjean was announced as a driver for the new Haas F1 Team ahead of their 2016 entry. In the team’s very first race, the Australian Grand Prix, he finished sixth to score Haas’ first championship points, earning Formula One’s first Driver of the Day award. He added another fifth-place finish in Bahrain and remained with the team through 2020, partnering Kevin Magnussen from 2017 onward.
Highlights of the Haas years included a fourth-place finish at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix, his best result with the team, and consistent points contributions through 2017 and 2018. The 2019 and 2020 seasons were tougher, marked by reliability issues and a points drought. His Formula One career ended in dramatic fashion at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, when his car split in half and burst into flames after penetrating a metal barrier. Grosjean escaped with second-degree burns and credited the halo device with saving his life. He missed the final two races of the season before departing Haas.
IndyCar and Lamborghini Era (2021-Present)
Grosjean moved to the IndyCar Series in 2021 with Dale Coyne Racing, recording his maiden IndyCar pole position and a podium in his first race at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. He finished second at the Indianapolis road course races and third at Laguna Seca during a strong rookie campaign. Across 2022 and 2023 with Andretti Autosport, he added further podium finishes before contesting 2024 with Juncos Hollinger Racing.
In 2024, Grosjean transitioned to sportscar racing with Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, marking a new chapter in his career. He has also served as a reserve driver for Prema in the IndyCar Series, maintaining a presence in American open-wheel racing. In September 2025, he returned to Formula One machinery for a test with Haas at Mugello, his first time in an F1 car since the 2020 Bahrain crash.
Driving Style and Strengths
Grosjean is known for his aggressive racecraft, particularly on road and street courses, and his ability to extract performance from machinery in changing conditions. He is an intelligent tire manager and a strong wet-weather racer, traits that served him well across Formula One, IndyCar, and sportscar competition. His willingness to defend aggressively has sometimes led to incidents, but it has also produced many of his best results, including his podiums with Lotus and his strong qualifying pace at Andretti.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his first Formula One podium at the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix, his Race of Champions victory in 2012, and his remarkable recovery from the fiery 2020 Bahrain crash. In IndyCar, his pole position and podium at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis in 2021 announced his arrival in American racing. His return to Formula One machinery at Mugello in 2025 marked another emotional milestone in his post-crash career.
Romain Grosjean Career Wins
Romain Grosjean has built a versatile trophy collection across single-seaters, endurance racing, and international competitions. His most significant titles came in the GP2 Series in 2011, the GP2 Asia Series in 2008 and 2011, the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2007, the Auto GP Series in 2010, and the Race of Champions in 2012. He also secured victories in the FIA GT1 World Championship and recorded ten Formula One podium finishes across his career with Renault and Lotus.
GP2 and Junior Series Highlights
Grosjean’s GP2 achievements include the 2011 GP2 Series title with DAMS and two GP2 Asia Series championships in 2008 and 2011. He was the highest-placed rookie in the 2008 GP2 Series and scored multiple feature and sprint race victories across both campaigns. Earlier, he dominated the 2005 French Formula Renault season with ten wins from sixteen races and won the 2007 Formula 3 Euro Series championship with ASM.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond single-seaters, Grosjean won the 2010 Auto GP Series with DAMS and recorded two victories in the inaugural FIA GT1 World Championship with Matech Competition. He also won the 2012 Race of Champions at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, defeating Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen in the Grand Final. Across his Formula One career, he earned ten podium finishes, highlighted by three podiums in 2012 and six more in 2013.
Romain Grosjean Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Grosjean was raised in Geneva, Switzerland, in a family with deep sporting and industrial roots. His grandfather, Fernand Grosjean, was an Olympic-level alpine skier who won a silver medal at the 1950 World Ski Championship, and his great-grandfather, Edgar Brandt, was a prominent French weapons designer. Although no immediate family members pursued professional motorsport, Grosjean’s Swiss-French heritage and athletic lineage shaped his path into racing.
Personal Life
Romain Grosjean married French journalist and television presenter Marion Jollès on 27 June 2012 in Chamonix, France. The couple has been together since 2008 and has three children, a son born in 2013, a second son born on 16 May 2015, and a daughter born on 31 December 2017. After committing to racing full-time in the IndyCar Series, Grosjean relocated his family to Miami, Florida, choosing the city for its French-language schools and direct flights to Paris. He is also a qualified pilot and shares flying content on his YouTube channel.
2025 Season Performance
Romain Grosjean’s 2025 season is centered on his sportscar commitments with Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, marking his first full year focused on endurance and prototype racing. He carries car number 63 and continues to bring his open-wheel experience to the program. His role has also expanded into a reserve driver capacity with Prema in the IndyCar Series, allowing him to remain connected to American single-seater racing.
Off-track, one of the most significant moments of 2025 came in September, when Grosjean returned to Formula One machinery for a test in a Haas VF-23 at Mugello. The test marked his first time in a Formula One car since his dramatic 2020 Bahrain crash and served as an emotional milestone in his recovery story. It also underlined his continued relationship with Haas, the team where he spent the final five seasons of his grand prix career.
Looking ahead, Grosjean’s partnership with Lamborghini and his reserve duties with Prema position him at the intersection of two major motorsport worlds. With IMSA growth and continued ties to Formula One testing, he remains an active and influential figure in international racing.