Romain Grosjean reacts to fans cheering during the Grand Prix of Long Beach (Will Lester/MediaNews Group via Getty Images). The fiery wreck ended his F1 career but also led to his rebranding as “The Phoenix,” and the comeback story was appealing to an Ind圜ar fan base that also appreciated his success. It was a whirlwind year that started with near-tragedy when Grosjean escaped death in a terrifying crash at Bahrain. “We found a school for the kids, found a house and moved in at the end of December in Florida, and we’re just loving it.”Ībsolutely loved my first day in my DHL Honda n.28 “I could tell that they were really happy being here, and that just triggered everything,” he said. He also fell for America during a monthlong tour of the Midwest with his wife and three kids in a motorhome (his two young boys now will play baseball after being introduced in batting cages last summer). Transitioning from a decade of racing Formula One, Grosjean immediately adapted to Ind圜ar, winning the pole position for his third start and finishing second in May on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

Perhaps that final piece of name recognition will come with the move to Andretti Autosport, where Grosjean, 35, will race the full 2022 season after an impressive rookie campaign on road and street courses for Dale Coyne Racing. VIEWER’S GUIDE: Storylines to watch in Ind圜ar this season

“So now because I order it in advance, it just comes with the right name.” “I was able to download the app because now I’ve got an American phone number,” Grosjean, who moved his family from Europe to the Miami area in the offseason, told NBC Sports with a laugh. The Swiss-born Frenchman who became a fan favorite last year as an emerging star no longer needs to use his American-friendly middle name (David) in trying to simplify his coffee order at Starbucks. Even before the first lap in his new elite NTT Ind圜ar Series ride, life already has been a little easier for Romain Grosjean this year.

Download andretti indycar