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Grosjean set for swansong F1 outing after seat fitting

Romain Grosjean's wish to enjoy a final outing in an F1 car is set to become reality after the Frenchman underwent a seat fitting recently.

At the end of last season, the former Haas driver miraculously escaped a dramatic opening lap wreck and inferno at the penultimate round of the 2020 world championship at Sakhir.

But burns to his hands forced the 33-year-old to pull out of F1's finale in Abu Dhabi, a withdrawal that brought a premature end to Grosjean's career in F1 and sadly deprived him of a swansong outing.

In the wake of the Frenchman's crash, Wolff offered Grosjean to test one of the Brackley squad's older-spec cars if Haas or Renault, his previous teams in F1, could not provide him with an opportunity to conclude his F1 chapter.

In February, Grosjean followed up on Wolff's offer, revealing that he had held discussions with Mercedes about testing one of its cars. And a test now looks to be on the horizon for the Dale Coyne Racing IndyCar rookie.

On the latest installment of the 'In the Fast Lane' podcast, 'Drive to Survive' producer James Gay-Rees revealed Grosjean's recent seat fitting.

"We were filming with Grosjean for a seat fitting today," Gay-Rees said. "He's having one last spin with a team."

Although the DtS executive producer did not divulge where the seat fitting had taken place, Mercedes is the outfit most likely to fulfil Grosjean's wish given Wolff's offer.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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