Ex-F1 star Romain Grosjean calls in lawyers after Andretti IndyCar axe
Former Formula One star Romain Grosjean has confirmed he has started arbitration proceedings against Andretti after being dropped by the IndyCar team.
The Frenchman has raced in the American motorsport series for the past three years, scoring two pole positions and two podiums. The latter two of those seasons came with Andretti, but it was confirmed at the start of last month that he had been dropped from the team.
That came after a drop-off in form, with team owner Michael Andretti also questioning his teamwork in a recent interview. Grosjean has been left disappointed at losing his drive and has now launched legal proceedings against the team.
"I enjoyed working with the IndyCar team at Andretti Autosport, and am proud of the successes we shared through the last two seasons. I am thankful for the many friendships developed at the highest level of American open-wheel racing," a statement from the driver read.
"I had expected to continue racing with the final people of Andretti Autosport in the coming years. I am disappointed that is not being fulfilled and wish Andretti team members well. I am pursuing other options to continue my IndyCar career in pursuit of excellence.
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"I have commenced an arbitration proceeding in Indiana against Andretti Autosport, seeking to protect my rights. I am represented by John Maley and Mark Owens of Barnes & Thornburg, LLP."
Romain Grosjean has launched legal proceedings against Andretti after being dropped by the team (Greg Doherty/Getty Images)Grosjean is currently 13th in the IndyCar standings with 296 points, though his last podium finish was back in April. He has only finished in the top 10 once since that date, with his relationship with the team having broken down.
Former F1 dirver Marcus Ericsson will join the team next season to take Grosjean place, with Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood completing the line-up. The team could enter a fourth car, though that decision has not yet been taken.
“We are working on a fourth right now. To be honest with you, we really don’t know what we want to do yet. We hope to have an answer by Laguna Seca," Andretti told NBC.
“There are a lot of things that go into a fourth car, not just sponsorship. We have quite a few different options we are looking at and see what the best one is that works for us.”
Grosjean's chances of securing a new drive appear slim, with McLaren and Meyer Shank having no spare seats. Ed Carpenter Racing and AJ Foyt Racing should have seats available, while Dale Coyne could be an option.
Andretti meanwhile are focused on their bid to submit at team to F1, with FIA recently giving their approval. The 10 existing teams and F1's owners Liberty Media will now make a final decision.
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