Grosjean pivots to sportscars as IndyCar options dry up

After twenty-three years of threading open-wheel cockpits through the world’s fastest corners, Romain Grosjean is preparing to close a defining chapter of his motorsport career.

With his tenure at Dale Coyne Racing concluding and zero viable NTT IndyCar Series seats left on the 2027 grid, the 40-year-old Frenchman is shifting his competitive focus toward sportscar racing.

Having crossed the Atlantic in 2021 after miraculously surviving a fiery Formula 1 crash in Bahrain at the end of the previous season, Grosjean carved out a productive North American chapter.

Across stints with Dale Coyne, Andretti Autosport, and Juncos Hollinger Racing, he captured three pole positions and seven podiums – adding to the ten F1 top three finishes he earned earlier in his career.

Yet a grueling 2026 campaign with Coyne left him ready for a new direction.

“The reality is, this is probably the end for me with single-seaters,” he recently told RACER. “Endurance racing will be my priority just because the busy lifestyle is a lot.”

Outgrowing the open-wheel grind

While 2026 produced flashes of brilliance – highlighted by leading laps at the Indianapolis 500 and wrestling an underpowered car onto the podium in Ontario – persistent mechanical limitations at other venues ultimately dulled his appetite for the fight.

“This year was tough, I'm not gonna lie,” he continued. “I had a few amazing moments. I got the chance to lead the Indy 500. I finished in the top 10. I ran the top five most of the last 60 laps. Amazing! I got a podium in Markham, which was incredible with my ‘tractor.’

“But then we go to Milwaukee and Laguna Seca, and Laguna Seca, I qualified dead last, almost. I know it’s one of my fastest tracks, so I'm like, ‘I don't want that anymore.’ I've had enough of those moments where you just don't have the tools to play.

“So, that's why I think single-seaters, it's over, and endurance racing, sharing more with people on the human side, and having fun and winning races, that's it for me.”

• Read also: Cadillac explains why Perez deserved new long-term deal

Though his 2027 contract remains unsigned, Grosjean brings substantial multi-driver credentials to the paddock.

Earlier this year, he raced a GTD-class Ford Mustang GT3 at the 24 Hours of Daytona, building on a five-round IMSA prototype campaign with Lamborghini in 2025 – highlighted by fourth place at Petit Le Mans – and a 2024 Daytona Hypercar outing that yielded thirteenth.

For a veteran weary of fighting with blunt instruments, shared cockpits and long distance racing now offer the most compelling path forward.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook