And then all the grandstands facing my pit box went up and started shouting my name and clapping. Even Long Beach when I retired (in 24 th because of a crash), I was sitting on a pit wall, and I was disappointed because I didn’t want the season to end that way. “I hope they’re going to keep embracing the rise of ‘The Phoenix.’ It was incredible. “The fans last year were unbelievable, and I can’t wait to see them again this year,” he said. 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. “Colton has already shown so much potential in the short time he’s been in the series and having a great partner like Gainbridge recognise and support that potential is great for everyone.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. Team boss Michael Andretti said: “We’re excited to officially welcome Gainbridge and Colton Herta back to the Andretti Autosport family for years to come. Race winner Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport Honda However Herta's contract extension will keep him at Andretti Autosport for at least two more years and appears to diminish hopes of F1 attracting its first American driver since his current team-mate Alexander Rossi made five starts for the Manor Marussia team in 2015. PLUS: How Herta's aversion to complacency spells bad news for his Ind圜ar rivals The win for Herta, who finished third in the standings last year as the only Andretti Autosport driver to win a race in a team clean sweep of the podium at Mid-Ohio, was lauded by 1978 F1 world champion Mario Andretti as an example of his "Formula 1 quality" with Andretti telling Autosport that he was "pushing like hell" to find Herta an opportunity in F1.į1 boss Stefano Domenicali revealed earlier this month that the organisation is encouraging teams to look at American drivers to build interest in the country ahead of a second US grand prix joining the calendar in Miami from 2022.
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