F1 pundit confirms worst-kept secret as long-awaited test debut made official
Max Verstappen (Red Bull RB21) leads the field at the start of the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Haas has officially announced that James Hinchcliffe, the respected F1 pundit and former IndyCar race winner, will drive in a TPC test at Mugello on Friday.
It comes after PlanetF1.com revealed last week that the Canadian was in line for a surprise test appearance with the American team for filming purposes.
Haas confirms F1 pundit James Hinchcliffe to drive in TPC test
Hinchcliffe claimed six victories in 161 appearances in the US-based IndyCar Series between 2011 and 2021, setting pole position for the legendary Indianapolis 500 race in 2016.
The 38-year-old has turned his attention to broadcasting over recent years and regularly appears as a pundit for Formula 1’s in-house production F1 TV.
PlanetF1.com revealed last week that Hinchcliffe will join the Haas team for a TPC [Testing of Previous Car] run at the Mugello circuit in Italy on Friday to film an upcoming feature for F1 TV.
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Hinchcliffe dropped a tease about his upcoming Haas test earlier this week, posting images to social media of his seat fit at the team’s factory.
In the accompanying caption, he wrote: “Been a minute. Hopefully I remember what I’m doing. This is why I label my shoes…”
Haas finally confirmed the news on Thursday, announcing that Hinchcliffe will join former F1 star Romain Grosjean at Mugello.
Hinchcliffe is to get his first-ever taste of F1 machinery behind the wheel of the VF-23, which was driven in competition by Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen during the 2023 season.
In a statement provided to PlanetF1.com to confirm Grosjean’s return, Haas said: “Friday’s TPC test will also see ex-IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe (38) making his debut in a Formula 1 car – the Canadian F1TV broadcaster, a six-time IndyCar race winner and former Indy 500 pole sitter, getting a test of the VF-23 as part of a feature for Formula 1’s official TV channel – set to air during the United States Grand Prix weekend next month.”
As reported by PlanetF1.com, Grosjean’s appearance at Mugello will see him return to the cockpit of an F1 car for the first time since his grand prix career ended abruptly with a frightening accident at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Grosjean’s car was engulfed in flames in a first-lap accident in Sakhir in one of the most shocking moments in recent F1 history, with the Frenchman miraculously escaping with only burns to his hands.
Haas confirmed that Grosjean will be joined at Mugello by members of his former crew at Haas, including team boss Ayao Komatsu, who will make a one-off return to race engineering duties.
Komatsu, who was appointed Haas team principal in early 2024 following the departure of Guenther Steiner, is known to have a close relationship with Grosjean having followed the driver from Lotus to Haas at the beginning of 2016.
The test will also see Grosjean wear a helmet design produced by his children, which he originally intended to wear for what was expected to be his final F1 appearance at the 2020 season finale in Abu Dhabi before his accident intervened.
Grosjean said: “I’m incredibly grateful to Gene Haas and to Ayao Komatsu for inviting me to participate in the TPC at Mugello.
“To say I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car would naturally be an understatement.
“I really can’t believe it’s been almost five years, but to come back and have this outing with my old team is truly something special.
“I’m excited to see everyone, I’m sure we’ll spend a bit of time reminiscing about the old days, but I’m also keen to be of use regarding the trackside agenda with the VF-23 – it’s great the team now has the TPC program as part of its on-going development.
“Finally, my kids had designed my helmet for what was meant to be my final grand prix in Abu Dhabi back in 2020 – I’m at last going to be able to give it a go in a Formula 1 car on Friday.”
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Komatsu added: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be welcoming Romain Grosjean back into a Formula 1 car for the first time in five years but especially proud he’s returning in one of our cars – it’s only fitting.
“Romain and I have worked together throughout his entire Formula 1 career so this test at Mugello is of particular significance to us both.
“I’m delighted he embraced the opportunity to come and get back behind the wheel with us, a day that’s going to be made extra special by having so many members of the original crew back together to witness it.
“It should be a fun day and knowing Romain as I do, I know he’ll want to give it his all as usual – I’d expect nothing less, not least as we’ve talked about making this happen for a long time now.”
Earlier this year, Haas handed a surprise TPC outing to former Toyota and Caterham driver Kamui Kobayashi, more than a decade after his last F1 appearance.
Kobayashi, who has strong links to Haas technical partner Toyota having represented the Japanese manufacturer in the World Endurance Championship, carried out a test behind the wheel of the VF-23 at the Paul Ricard circuit in France.
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