Romain Grosjean, a veteran of 180 Formula One starts, is turning to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2021, embarking on the next chapter of his racing career with Dale Coyne Racing with RWR.

Grosjean will be behind the wheel of the No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing with RWR full-time entry for all the road and street courses in 2021, with the oval races yet to be determined.

Following a nine-year Formula One career, which ended with the world watching as he escaped a fiery crash in the opening lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix in late November with burns to his hands, Grosjean was presented with different opportunities as he mulled his next career move. Ultimately, the Frenchman decided that the highly competitive NTT INDYCAR SERIES was the place to be.

“I’m very excited for this opportunity to race in the United States in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” Grosjean said. “I had different options in front of me for this coming season and choosing to go INDYCAR racing was definitively my favorite one. Although, I’m not ready yet to take on the ovals!

“INDYCAR has a much more level playing field than what I have been used to in my career so far. It will be exciting to challenge for podiums and wins again. My left hand is still healing, but we are just about ready to get back into the race car and to start this next chapter of my career.”

Early in his career, Grosjean picked up seven junior championships, included winning the GP2 series – the last rung before Formula One – in 2011 by 35 points. He spent the first four years of his F1 career with Lotus, where he finished a career best seventh in the 2013 World Championship. He then moved to the Haas F1 Team in 2016, where he spent the last five seasons.

Grosjean scored 10 podium finishes over the course of his F1 career, which included two second-place finishes, both captured on North American soil (2012, Montreal; 2013, Austin).

“We’ve been talking to Romain for some time now, even before his accident at Bahrain,” team owner Dale Coyne said. “He has shown interest in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for the past several months, and we’re very happy that he has chosen to pursue his career with us and excited to welcome a driver with his pedigree to America, the series and our team. We feel that he’ll be a force to be reckoned with in the series.”

Dale Coyne Racing with RWR co-entrant Rick Ware said: “We’re thrilled to be entering our first full season of NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing with Dale Coyne Racing, and to have a driver of the caliber of Romain Grosjean to run the street and road courses makes it that much more exciting for us. We’re looking forward to this season.”

The Frenchman will have 2017 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year Ed Jones as his teammate in the team’s No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan entry that was announced last week. Both drivers will begin testing Feb. 22 at Barber Motorsports Park, site of the season opener Sunday, April 18.