Less than three months after his horrific crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Romain Grosjean was back in a race car, completing a successful first IndyCar test at Barber Motorsports Park.

The Frenchman completed 83 laps in his #51 Dale Coyne Racing with RWR entry as the team used the test to allow the rookie to get comfortable and up to speed in his new surroundings.

"It felt good to be back in a race car," said Grosjean. "It really felt like home. 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 in case!

"We worked on different things throughout the day," he continued. "You always try and find the limit, which I did this morning in Turn 1, I wasn't quite happy with that, but I understood something that you could do in Formula 1 and not in IndyCar, so it was a good learning experience.

"Then there was a lot of learning about when you change the dampers and tools on the car, what it actually does to the car, what part of the corner. So, we worked on getting a feel for that. And also getting to learn to work with my engineer Olivier (Boisson) and getting to understand each other when it comes to communicating what the car is doing. That's been our day, it's been pretty good overall."

Having suffered burns to his hands in the Bahrain crash, the test was also an occasion for the Frenchman to see how his hands would feel gripped around the steering wheel of a race car.

"It went OK. It's not perfect," he said. "There's a nice big blister on my left thumb, which is not pretty, but driving wise it was OK. It wasn't painful. I was being a bit careful on some of the curbs but generally it hasn't been a limitation."

Grosjean will be back on track for another full day of testing on 1 March 1 at Laguna Seca. The 2021 season kicks off at Barber Motorsports Park on 18 April.

Picture Credit: R Grosjean/Twitter

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by F1 Yank, 24/02/2021 16:26

"Yeah, I would have to agree with TSGoodchild on this one. Indycar has changed dramatically over the years. It was pretty good as CART and Champcar with the longtime personalities. Once the Indy merge took place it changed and I would agree that the production value isn't there. (With all due respect) I have been to the LB Gran Prix several times and when it was a "big to do" there was very limited access. When their ratings went down the hole and the grandstands were empty, LB was giving away tickets and you could walk just about anywhere. Now back to the topic. I hope to see GRO doing well and running in the top 10 as an F1 driver should be with a so so package. This is the series that highlights the driver/chassis package and not the chassis series where R&D cash flow places you on the front row."

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2. Posted by Motorsport-fan, 24/02/2021 10:10

"Fighter cockpit protection or halo?"

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3. Posted by Wokingchap, 24/02/2021 9:44

"This inspires me to watch Indycar for the first time and wholeheartedly wish Romain all the very best for his new venture."

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Grosjean completes first IndyCar test

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