Romain Grosjean facts for kids
{{Infobox person | name = Romain Grosjean | image = Grosjean at 2024 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.jpg | caption = Grosjean in 2024 | birth_name = Romain David Jeremie Grosjean | birth_date = 17 April 1986 | birth_place = Geneva, Switzerland | spouse =
| children = 3
| relatives =
- Fernand Grosjean (grandfather)
- Edgar Brandt (great-grandfather)
| module = | module2 = | module3 = | module4 = | module5 =
Romain Grosjean (born 17 April 1986) is a French and Swiss racing driver. He currently races in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Lamborghini. He is also a reserve driver in the IndyCar Series for Prema. Grosjean raced in Formula One from 2009 to 2020. He also competed in the IndyCar Series from 2021 to 2024.
Grosjean grew up in Geneva, Switzerland. His father was Swiss and his mother was French. His grandfather, Fernand Grosjean, was an Olympic alpine skier. His great-grandfather, Edgar Brandt, was a famous weapons designer.
Romain started his racing career in 2003. He quickly moved up through different racing series. He joined the Renault Sport Academy in 2006. Grosjean made his Formula One debut with Renault in 2009. He then returned to junior racing. He won the GP2 Series title in 2011.
In 2012, Grosjean returned to Formula One with Lotus. He achieved his first podium finish in Bahrain that year. He had several more podiums in 2013. In 2016, he moved to the Haas team. He continued to score points in races. In 2020, Grosjean survived a very serious crash in Bahrain. His car split in half and caught fire. He had second-degree burns but was saved by the halo device.
After Formula One, Grosjean moved to the IndyCar Series in 2021. He quickly showed his talent, earning podium finishes. He raced for Dale Coyne Racing and then Andretti. In 2024, he joined Juncos Hollinger Racing. He then moved to sportscar racing with Lamborghini.
Contents
| IMSA SportsCar Championship career | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debut season | 2023 | ||||||
| Current team | Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse | ||||||
| Racing licence |  FIA Platinum |
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| Car no. | 63 | ||||||
| Former teams | Iron Lynx | ||||||
| Starts | 9 | ||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||
| Podiums | 0 | ||||||
| Poles | 0 | ||||||
| Fastest laps | 1 | ||||||
| Best finish | 14th in 2023 (GTD Pro) | ||||||
| IndyCar Series career | |||||||
| 64 races run over 4 years | |||||||
| Team(s) | Reserve Driver (Prema Racing) | ||||||
| Best finish | 13th (2022, 2023) | ||||||
| First race | 2021 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama (Birmingham) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Music City Grand Prix (Nashville Superspeedway) | ||||||
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| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||
| Nationality |  French |
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| Active years | 2009, 2012–2020 | ||||||
| Teams | Renault, Lotus, Haas | ||||||
| Car number | 8 | ||||||
| Entries | 181 (179 starts) | ||||||
| Championships | 0 | ||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||
| Podiums | 10 | ||||||
| Career points | 391 | ||||||
| Pole positions | 0 | ||||||
| Fastest laps | 1 | ||||||
| First entry | 2009 European Grand Prix | ||||||
| Last entry | 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix | ||||||
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |||||||
| Years | 2010, 2024 | ||||||
| Teams | Matech, Lamborghini | ||||||
| Best finish | 13th (2024) | ||||||
| Class wins | 0 | ||||||
| Previous series | |||||||
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| Championship titles | |||||||
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- Dale Coyne Team (2021)
- Andretti Team (2022–2023)
- Juncos Hollinger Team (2024)
- Prema Reserve Driver (2025)
Early Life and Family
Romain Grosjean was born in Geneva, Switzerland. His father was Swiss and his mother was French. His great-grandfather, Edgar Brandt, was a well-known weapon designer. Romain's grandfather, Fernand Grosjean, was a skier. He won a silver medal in giant slalom in 1950.
Junior Racing Career
Grosjean won all ten races in the 2003 Formula Lista Junior championship. He then moved to the French Formula Renault championship in 2004. He finished seventh that year with one win. In 2005, he became champion with ten victories. He also raced in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0. He finished on the podium twice in Valencia. Because of his success, Grosjean joined the Renault Sport Academy. This program helps young drivers develop their careers.
Formula Three Racing
Grosjean first raced in Formula Three at the 2005 Macau Grand Prix. He qualified 19th and finished ninth.
In 2006, he had a difficult year in the 2006 Formula 3 Euro Series. He only got one podium finish and ended up 13th. However, in a special race in the 2006 British Formula Three Championship, he started first and won both races.
He stayed in the Formula 3 Euro Series for 2007. He joined the ASM team, which had won many titles before. Grosjean won the championship in 2007. He took pole position for the important Masters of Formula 3 race.
GP2 Series Racing
Grosjean raced for ART in the first GP2 Asia Series season in 2008. He won both races in the first round. He went on to win the championship with four wins.
He continued with ART Grand Prix for the 2008 GP2 Series. He finished fourth in the season. He was the highest-placed rookie driver.
In 2009, Grosjean joined the Barwa Addax team. He finished fourth in the championship.
First Time in Formula One
Grosjean became Renault's test driver in 2008. He drove a Formula One car for the first time in June 2008.
Renault Team (2009)
He started as a test driver for Renault in 2009. But he soon took over a race seat. This happened after a controversy involving another driver. Grosjean made his Formula One debut at the 2009 European Grand Prix. He qualified 14th. He finished 15th after a crash on the first lap.
At the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix, he crashed on the first lap. At the 2009 Italian Grand Prix, he qualified 12th, his best so far. But he had a bad start and finished 15th. He retired from the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix due to brake problems. At the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix, he finished 16th. He struggled to learn the track in the rain.
At the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix, he crashed in practice. But he qualified 13th in his repaired car. He finished 13th, his best result of the season. At the final race in Abu Dhabi, he finished 18th. He said he learned a lot that year.
In January 2010, Renault announced new drivers. This left Grosjean without a Formula One seat for 2010. However, he later tested for Pirelli, a tyre company.
Racing Outside Formula One
After leaving Formula One, Grosjean raced in other series.
Sportscar Racing
In 2010, Grosjean raced in the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship. He drove a Ford GT1 for the Matech Competition team. He won two races and led the standings early on.
In June 2010, Grosjean raced in the famous 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. His team had to stop early after 171 laps.
Auto GP Series
In June 2010, Grosjean returned to single-seater racing. He joined the DAMS team in the 2010 Auto GP season. He won the main race and finished second in the sprint race. He went on to win three more races. He took the Auto GP title at Monza.
Return to GP2 Series
On 20 July 2010, Grosjean announced his return to GP2 with the DAMS team. He replaced an injured driver. He finished third in two races.
Grosjean raced full-time in GP2 in 2011. He won two pole positions and one race in the 2011 GP2 Asia Series. He won the Asia Series championship. He also won the first race of the main 2011 GP2 Series. He won four more races that season. He secured the championship title at Spa-Francorchamps.
Return to Formula One
Lotus Team (2012–2015)
In 2011, Grosjean returned to the Lotus Renault GP team as a test driver. He drove in practice sessions for two races.
On 9 December 2011, it was announced that Grosjean would race in Formula One in 2012. He joined the Lotus F1 Team. His teammate was the 2007 World Champion, Kimi Räikkönen.
2012 Season
At the 2012 Australian Grand Prix, Grosjean qualified third. But he retired on the second lap after a crash. At the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix, he finished third. This was his first Formula One podium. In Spain, he finished fourth and set his first fastest lap. At the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix, he finished second, his best result.
At Valencia, he retired due to car problems. At the 2012 British Grand Prix, he started ninth and finished sixth. At the 2012 Hungarian Grand Prix, he qualified second and finished third.
At Spa, Grosjean caused a big crash at the start. He was given a one-race ban. This was the first ban for a driver since 1994. He was replaced for the 2012 Italian Grand Prix. His team boss said he learned a lesson. However, at the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix, he crashed again on the first corner. Many drivers criticized his actions.
In December 2012, Grosjean won the 2012 Race of Champions. He beat racing legend Tom Kristensen. It was confirmed he would stay with Lotus for 2013.
2013 Season
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Grosjean scored points in the first three races of 2013. He finished third at the 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix. At the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, his car broke down. At the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix, he crashed three times in practice. He also crashed in the race, earning a penalty.
At the 2013 German Grand Prix, he led the race for a while. He finished third, his second podium of the season. At the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix, he finished sixth after a penalty. He finished eighth at the 2013 Belgian Grand Prix. At the 2013 Italian Grand Prix, he finished eighth after a slow pit stop.
In Singapore, he had engine problems and retired. At the 2013 Korean Grand Prix, he finished third. He also finished third at the 2013 Japanese Grand Prix. He led the race for almost half the time. In India, he started 17th but finished third. At Abu Dhabi, he finished fourth. At the 2013 United States Grand Prix, he finished second. He held off Mark Webber.
Grosjean continued with Lotus in 2014.
2014 Season
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For 2014, drivers could choose their car number. Grosjean picked number 8. He said his wife was born on December 8th, they started dating in 2008, and his son was like the "8th wonder of the world." He only scored points in two races that year.
2015 Season
In 2015, Lotus had a much better car with a Mercedes engine. Grosjean had some mechanical problems early on. But he finished seventh in China and Bahrain. In Spain, he finished eighth despite a crash and a pit stop mistake. He was hit by Max Verstappen in Monaco.
In Canada, he had a puncture but still scored points. He retired from the Austrian and British races. In Hungary, he finished seventh. In Belgium, he started ninth but finished third. This was his first podium since 2013. He said he cried on the last lap.
He retired from the Italian and Singapore races. In Japan, he finished seventh.
Haas Team (2016–2020)
2016 Season
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In September 2015, it was announced that Grosjean would race for the new Haas F1 Team in 2016. His teammate was Esteban Gutiérrez. In their first race, the 2016 Australian Grand Prix, Grosjean finished sixth. This was Haas's first points. He was voted "Driver of the Day." He finished fifth in the next race in Bahrain.
In May 2017, Grosjean was elected as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA).
2017 Season
Grosjean continued with Haas in 2017. He had several retirements due to car issues or crashes. He scored 28 points and finished 13th in the season.
2018 Season
Haas kept Grosjean for 2018. At the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he crashed behind the safety car. At the 2018 Spanish Grand Prix, he caused a crash on the first lap. He lost control and was hit by other cars. In the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix, Grosjean finished fourth. This was his best result with Haas. He was disqualified from the 2018 Italian Grand Prix because his car's floor was illegal. He finished 14th with 37 points.
2019 Season
Grosjean stayed with Haas for 2019. This season was difficult due to car problems and bad luck. He retired from the first two races. In Australia, a wheel was not fitted correctly. In Bahrain, he was hit by another car. He scored his first point in Spain, finishing 10th.
He retired from his home race in France. He also retired from the 2019 British Grand Prix after crashing with his teammate. His best points finish came in Germany, where he finished seventh. He retired from the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix and 2019 Russian Grand Prix. Grosjean finished 18th in the championship with 8 points. This was his worst full season in Formula One.
2020: Final Season and Accident
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Haas announced that Grosjean would leave the team at the end of 2020.
In his final race, the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, Grosjean had a very serious crash. His car hit a barrier at high speed. The car split in half and caught fire.
The impact was very strong. Grosjean was able to get out of the burning car after 28 seconds. He had minor burns on his hands and ankles. The halo device, a safety feature on the car, saved his life. It protected his head and body from the barrier. The crash stopped the race for over an hour. Grosjean missed the last two races of the season. He had surgery for his injuries in December.
Grosjean was supposed to test drive a Mercedes Formula One car in 2021. But the test was delayed due to travel rules.
IndyCar Career
From 2021, Grosjean decided to race in the IndyCar Series.
Dale Coyne Team (2021)
In 2021, Grosjean raced for Dale Coyne Racing. He was planned to only race on street and road courses. But he later decided to race on one oval track too.
Grosjean quickly adapted to IndyCar. He had three podium finishes. He finished second twice at the IMS Road Course. He also finished third at Laguna Seca. He earned his first IndyCar pole position at Indianapolis. He finished second in that race.
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Grosjean's arrival in IndyCar was exciting. Many experts thought he would do very well. He had a strong season despite not racing full-time.
Andretti Team (2022–2023)
2022 Season
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Grosjean joined Andretti Autosport for the 2022 season. He raced in the 2022 Indianapolis 500 and the full schedule. He got his first podium with Andretti at Long Beach. He crashed out of the Indianapolis 500. Overall, 2022 was a tough season for Grosjean. He had bad luck and crashes with other drivers.
2023 Season
In 2023, Grosjean won pole position at the first race. But a crash ended his chances of winning. He crashed again at Texas while fighting for a podium. He then had two second-place finishes at Long Beach and Barber. The rest of the season was not as successful. He had many retirements and only one top-ten finish in 13 races.
In September 2023, it was reported that Andretti would not keep Grosjean for 2024. A month later, Grosjean announced he would take legal action against Andretti.
Juncos Hollinger Team (2024)
In November 2023, it was announced that Grosjean would race for the Juncos Hollinger Racing team in 2024. This was his first time racing a Chevrolet-powered car in IndyCar. He finished fourth at the 2024 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca.
Grosjean was not kept by the team after 2024.
Prema Reserve Driver (2025)
In January 2025, the new team Prema Racing announced they hired Grosjean as a reserve driver.
Personal Life
Grosjean married French journalist Marion Jollès on 27 June 2012. They have been together since 2008. They have three children: a son born in 2013, another child born in 2015, and a daughter born in 2017.
After joining IndyCar full-time, Grosjean moved to Miami with his family. They chose Miami because of its French-language schools and direct flights to Paris.
Before his racing career, Grosjean worked at a bank in Geneva. He is also a trained pilot and shares videos about flying on his YouTube channel.
Other Activities
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Grosjean works with several brands. These include Christian Roth, Richard Mille, and Bell Sports.
In 2014, Grosjean appeared in David Guetta's music video for "Dangerous".
In October 2017, Grosjean released a cookbook. It is called Cuisine et Confidences and he wrote it with his wife.
Grosjean also started R8G eSports, a team for sim racing (racing video games).
He has his own YouTube Channel called Romain Grosjean Official. He launched it in November 2017.
In 2024, Grosjean became a partner in Field Pass Inc. This is a company that manages brands and media.
Images for kids
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Grosjean made his Formula One debut at the 2009 European Grand Prix.
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Grosjean driving for Lotus at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix.
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Grosjean at the 2012 United States Grand Prix.
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Grosjean at the 2012 British Grand Prix.
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Grosjean was involved in several first-lap accidents in 2012. This one was with Mark Webber at the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix.
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Grosjean testing the Lotus E21 in Barcelona.
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Grosjean at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix.
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Grosjean at the 2014 British Grand Prix.
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Grosjean at the 2015 Canadian Grand Prix.
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Grosjean at the 2016 British Grand Prix.
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Grosjean at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix.
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Grosjean at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
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Grosjean at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix.
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Grosjean at pre-season testing in 2020.
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The front half of Grosjean's car wreckage, displayed in 2023.
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Grosjean at Road America in 2021.
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Grosjean at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2021.
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Grosjean driving for Andretti Autosport at the 2023 Indy 500.
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Grosjean driving in 2024 at Mid-Ohio.
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Grosjean driving the Lamborghini SC63 at the 2024 12 Hours of Sebring.
See also
In Spanish: Romain Grosjean para niños
