18/04/2022
NEWS STORY
Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff insists that Romain Grosjean's test in one of the German team's championship winning cars will happen.
You may have forgotten about it. We may have forgotten about it. But Romain Grosjean hasn't, and neither, he assures us, has Toto Wolff.
In the aftermath of the Frenchman's horrific crash during the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, with his F1 career effectively over, Grosjean was offered a final outing in the championship winning Mercedes.
The original plan to run the drive over the course of the 2021 French Grand Prix weekend had to be abandoned due to the ongoing COVID protocols, while Grosjean's increasingly busy IndyCar schedule further complicated matters.
In a recent post on social media, the Frenchman showed fans the various team clothing he has worn over the course of his career, including the helmet he had planned to use at the test.
"Everyone is asking about the Mercedes test," he said. "Well, here is the helmet.
"The test hasn't happened yet," he added, "but we've got a helmet ready for it."
Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff subsequently confirmed that he hasn't forgotten, and the test will happen.
"The test is going to happen for sure," said the Austrian. "We've committed to it. We are seeing what we can do and what he can do.
"It is going to happen," he added. "When I give my word, I give my word."
Grosjean has previously revealed that following last year's controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he was in contact with the Mercedes boss.
"I sent a message to Toto after Abu Dhabi. Well, I left it a couple of weeks, and then I sent a message to Toto, and he did reply.
"He said: 'Thank you', and then the last sentence was: 'We need to get you in that car this year'. So, it's still on the cards.
"There were a few things last year that didn't make it easy," he admitted. "This year I cannot go at the French Grand Prix because we're racing in Iowa the same weekend.
"But definitely Mercedes is keen to do it, I am keen to do it, even though my neck will be dying because I've lost part of the muscle there. You can ask Pato (O'Ward) what it was like," he said, referring to the Mexican's outing at last year's post-Abu Dhabi test.