Mercedes postpones Grosjean F1 test at Paul Ricard

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Mercedes has been forced to postpone Romain Grosjean's F1 test due to Covid-19 travel restrictions between the United States and France.

Mercedes offered the former Haas driver a full day of testing at the wheel of its championship winning 2019 W10 Silver Arrow as a farewell gesture following Grosjean's abrupt end to his career in F1 after his fiery crash in Bahrain last year.

The Brackley squad's initial plan was to have Grosjean demo Mercedes' W10 in front of his home crowd at Paul Ricard during this weekend's French Grand Prix.

But that opportunity was scuppered after the event was brought forward by a week, which led to a clash with a round of the NTT IndyCar Series at Road America where Grosjean will compete this weekend with Dale Coyne Racing.

Read also: Grosjean to make IndyCar oval debut in August

Mercedes had also scheduled a full day of testing with the Frenchman next week, in the wake of the French Grand Prix. But a recent mandatory quarantine measure imposed by France on travelers from the United States has also undermined that plan.

On Wednesday, the team took to social media to announce the postponement of Grosjean's test due to "travel restrictions and quarantine requirements".

The team added that it remains committed "to giving Romain his chance in a Mercedes F1 car and we're working to reschedule the test later this summer."

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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.