Former Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean will return to race in Europe next year with Lamborghini in sports car racing.
The Frenchman, 36, has competed in the American IndyCar series since escape from a huge fire following an accident at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Grosjean will race at Le Mans 2024 for Lamborghini’s elite-class “hypercar” entry, run by the Iron Lynx team.
“It’s an honor to join Lamborghini,” he said.
Grosjean will race in a lower-class Lamborghini GT3 in 2023 – starting with the 24 Hours of Daytona in January – while developing the new Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) hypercar, which will compete in the World Endurance Championship and Series American IMSA in 2024.
Sports cars introduced a new category of hypercars last year and attracted several major manufacturers to endurance racing, most of which will start competing in 2023, in time for the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“The new LMDh is a beautiful car,” said Grosjean. “I’m lucky to have seen him – and an incredible endurance project. It’s becoming a very exciting category with all the manufacturers coming in.”
Grosjean never won a Grand Prix during a 10-year F1 career – he finished second twice – before coming dangerously close to losing his life in his last race.
He collided with a barrier on the first lap of the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain, his Haas car caught fire and got stuck in the Armco.
Grosjean escaped with burns to his hands and earned the nickname “Phoenix” after getting out of his car, which was engulfed in flames.
He will also play his third season in IndyCar in 2023 for Andretti Autosport, the same British team. Jamie Chadwick will join next year in the second-tier Indy NXT series.
