Romain Grosjean says that he would’ve declined an offer from Haas to return to Formula 1 this year, should the team have reached out to him.
The American-owned squad parted ways with title sponsor Uralkali and driver Nikita Mazepin prior to Bahrain’s pre-season test amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Grosjean’s former Haas team-mate from Kevin Magnussen was chosen as Mazepin’s replacement.
Grosjean raced for Haas from 2016 to 2020, with his final race for the team ending in a dramatic fiery crash in Bahrain.
Since leaving F1, the Frenchman has joined the IndyCar Series and has asserted that if he was called upon by the team to get back into the car this year, he would’ve turned down the opportunity.
“A lot of people asked me if I would go back – I would not,” Grosjean said. “I’m really happy in the United States, really happy in IndyCar.
“I’m so excited every weekend I can go in a race and get a shot at the win. I had an incredible career in F1, all the races are behind me, it’s such a huge part of my life.
“But right now I’m onto the next chapter and the next chapter is about winning races and trying to win championships. So I would not have answered positively to the phone call.”
Grosjean spent four years at Haas alongside Magnussen, with the two having a number of on-track disagreements in that time.
However, Grosjean expressed his delight for Magnussen’s return, describing the Dane as a fast and versatile driver.
“I think it’s awesome, I’m so happy for Kevin,” he said. “He’s such a great guy, we didn’t always get on nicely, we kind of had a different view on racing with team-mates.
“We banged wheels a few times on the race track, and we talked through what we were thinking [as] team-mates, and from there it was very smooth.
“Haas was in this situation where everything was happening in the world, different decisions [were made], they stopped the sponsorship with Uralkali.
“I believe the reason Mazepin was driving for Haas was because he was bringing a huge sponsorship for the team.
“I think for Mick Schumacher, he’s going to have a team-mate that’s got a lot of experience in F1, that is very fast. Kevin’s strength is that he can always drive the car the way it is.
“He will do with it, it doesn’t need to be perfect for him to go fast. He’ll deal with the car. I hope Haas is going to give him a competitive car.
“I’m worried it’s not going to be that competitive, but who knows, I hope I’m wrong. I hope for Kevin he can get some fights at the front.”
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