Grosjean, Hinchcliffe, and Pirelli’s 2026 Future at Mugello
2026 Pirelli Tire Tests at Mugello with Haas, Ferrari, Grosjean, and Hinchcliffe
The first day of Pirelli’s 2026 tire testing at Mugello took place this week in collaboration with Haas and Scuderia Ferrari. The program focused on defining the hardest compounds from the upcoming range.
Haas brought its two race drivers, Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman, who shared a mule car derived from the VF-24 and adapted to run the 2026-spec tires. Ocon completed 40 laps, his best time a 1:21.943. Variable weather complicated the program, with rain arriving late in the morning. This, however, provided engineers a chance to evaluate prototype intermediate compounds on the demanding Mugello circuit. Bearman completed 30 laps on the intermediates, setting a 1:34.381.
Testing continued the following day with Ferrari, as Guanyu Zhou and Charles Leclerc split driving duties in a mule car based on the SF-25. The day was again disrupted by rain, but provided valuable opportunities to assess wet-weather performance. Leclerc ran in the morning on intermediates, completing 25 laps with a best of 1:34.914. Zhou had a busier afternoon, logging 75 laps on intermediates, extreme wets, and eventually slicks. He managed a best lap of 1:22.012.
Romain Grosjean Returns to F1 with Haas at Mugello
Friday, September 26, 2025, saw the long-awaited Formula 1 return of Romain Grosjean. The Frenchman climbed back into the cockpit of a Haas VF-23 during a TPC (Testing of Previous Car) session at Mugello—his first outing in an F1 car since the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Grosjean’s five-year stint with Haas ended dramatically on November 29, 2020, when his VF-20 pierced the barriers on the opening lap at Bahrain. The 67G impact and subsequent fireball left him with burns to his hands, but his survival stood as a powerful testament to Formula 1’s relentless pursuit of safety improvements.
Back at Mugello, Grosjean was reunited with several familiar faces. Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu—his former race engineer at Lotus—returned to engineering duties for the day. His former race engineer Dominic Haines, now Heritage Chief Engineer, and longtime No.1 mechanic Ian Staniforth, now Race Team Support Chief Mechanic, were also present. Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur, who once managed Grosjean in his junior career, was on hand as well.
““I’m incredibly grateful to Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for inviting me to take part in this TPC,” said Grosjean. “To get back behind the wheel after nearly five years is something truly special. It’s wonderful to reconnect with so many people from my time at Haas, and to have this chance to contribute to the VF-23 program. On a personal note, I finally get to wear the helmet my kids designed for what was supposed to be my farewell race in Abu Dhabi back in 2020.””
James Hinchcliffe Makes Formula 1 Debut
The same session also gave Canadian driver and F1 TV presenter James Hinchcliffe his first-ever chance to drive a Formula 1 car. The 38-year-old former IndyCar star, a six-time race winner and Indianapolis 500 pole sitter, sampled the VF-23 as part of an upcoming feature for F1’s official broadcast. The piece will air during the United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin this October.
Excerpts and media courtesy of Pirelli S.p.A. and Haas F1 Team Press Offices. All images are credited to their respective copyright holders and used for editorial purposes only.
