“It’s like being alive again!” – Romain Grosjean
Romain Grosjean solidified a place in the hearts of F1 fans everywhere after his bravery at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix saw him walk away from near-death.
After renouncing his seat for the final two races of his last season in Formula One – due to injuries – Grosjean made the move to compete in IndyCar with Dale Coyne Racing.
In his first showing, he managed to beat the double series champion, Josef Newgarden, by just over a tenth to land pole for the Grand Prix in Indianapolis – a result that saw F1 fans flock to Twitter to support the French ex-driver.
After landing Pole, one fan took to Twitter to say; “I’m crying again just like I was when I saw Romain climbing out of the inferno in Bahrain, this is so special!!! Congratulations Romain, P1!!!”
Another wrote; “I was 100% sure he was a goner after watching his crash live last year, I’m so happy for him, excellent job. Always showed immense speed during periods of his f1 career.”
Following a P2 finish, a string of more positivity began to ring in online, with one of hundreds writing; “Congrats! What a race! So happy for you. And like you said, I’m sure you will get that 1st place in the near future too!”
So cool to lead the pack and fight for the win. Forgot how much I loved that. Thank you @IndyCar & @DaleCoyneRacing for reminding me. Now I want more 😁. Blue flags cost us a win but our day will come 💪.#r8g #us2021 #ThePhoenix @IMS @RickWareRacing pic.twitter.com/8iB1FNWIMK
— Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean) May 16, 2021
Speaking after the race, Romain Grosjean said; “You know, even through the last few years that have been tough in terms of results, I take the example of Germany last year where I finished ninth, with the Haas car, that was quite special.
“I think Germany 2018 as well, we were like 12th after the last safety car. I came back finishing sixth or something in the last 10 laps, that was quite cool – even though you’re not winning, you’ve got that feeling.
“The days that I completely forgot about is when you get to race weekend, you got those butterflies because you know if you do everything right, you may end up on pole or trying to win the race.
“That’s definitely something I had no chance to do over the last few years.
“It feels really good to be in IndyCar on a field that everyone got a chance to go for it.
“It’s like being alive again…”