Former Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean has indicated that he is ready to walk away from single-seater racing after 23 years in the discipline, admitting that his latest IndyCar campaign has left him questioning whether he wants to continue.
The 40-year-old Frenchman, who spent more than a decade competing in Formula 1 before moving to the United States, believes his future may lie in endurance racing rather than another season of IndyCar. In an interview with RACER, Grosjean suggested that the physical demands, extensive travelling and frustration of competing without the machinery to challenge at the front have finally taken their toll.
“The truth is that this is probably the end for me in single-seaters,” Grosjean explained.
His comments represent a significant moment in a career that has taken him from Formula 1 podiums to the Indianapolis 500, with the former Haas driver now considering a very different chapter in motorsport.
Grosjean reaches a turning point after 23 years
Grosjean’s decision follows a demanding period in IndyCar, where he has experienced both the excitement of competing at the highest level and the frustrations of being unable to consistently fight towards the front.
He admitted that the 2026 season had been particularly difficult, despite providing some memorable opportunities.
“This year was tough, I can’t deny that. I had some great moments, had the chance to lead the Indy 500,” he said.
However, those highlights were accompanied by races in which he found himself towards the back of the field, unable to make a meaningful impression.
Grosjean acknowledged that those experiences had gradually changed his perspective on continuing in single-seater competition.
“That’s when I thought to myself, I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m fed up with these moments where I don’t have the means to compete,” he explained.
It is an admission that highlights the importance of having competitive machinery for a driver who has spent much of his professional career measuring himself against some of the strongest competition in international motorsport.
The travelling demands of IndyCar have taken their toll
Competitive frustration is not the only factor behind Grosjean’s thinking.
The Frenchman also pointed towards the demanding lifestyle associated with IndyCar, where the extensive calendar and travel commitments can make it difficult to maintain a sustainable balance away from racing.
He described a schedule involving more than 200 travel days during the year, with the demands of the championship beginning to outweigh the enjoyment he once found in competing.
“Then I thought to myself, I don’t want to do this anymore,” he added.
Having spent 23 years racing single-seaters, Grosjean believes he has given enough to that particular side of motorsport.
“I think it’s only normal. It’s very demanding on the body and the mind. It takes up time that you simply don’t want to give anymore. Maybe it will feel a bit strange, but I’ve given so much to this world that it feels like it’s time to do something different,” he said.
Endurance racing could offer Grosjean a new direction
Importantly, Grosjean has not indicated that he intends to disappear from motorsport altogether.
Instead, endurance racing appears to be an attractive alternative, potentially allowing him to continue competing while stepping away from the relentless demands of a single-seater programme.
The transition would represent another change of direction for a driver whose career has already included Formula 1, IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500.
Grosjean’s Formula 1 career included 10 podium finishes, all achieved with Lotus, before he joined Haas for the American team’s debut season in 2016. He remained with the team until the end of 2020, when his F1 career came to a dramatic conclusion following his fiery accident at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
His survival and recovery from that accident became one of the defining moments of his career.
Now, six years after leaving Formula 1, Grosjean appears ready to make another major decision.
Whether endurance racing becomes his next long-term home remains to be seen, but his message is clear: after more than two decades in single-seaters, the motivation to continue simply is no longer there.
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