Romain Grosjean to Dale Coyne Racing announcement expected "very soon", claims IndyCar insider

IndyCar insider David Land has shared that an official announcement about Romain Grosjean joining Dale Coyne Racing for the 2026 season is expected soon. The French driver sat out the 2025 season after losing his seat at Juncos Hollinger Racing.

Fortunately, the debutant team, PREMA Racing, signed him as a reserve driver, which ensured he didn't lose touch with the IndyCar world. Concurrently, he continued competing part-time in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with Lamborghini Squadra Corse.

In August, Grosjean revealed that he was eyeing a full-time return to IndyCar in 2026, sharing how he 'missed' racing in the series. The former F1 driver was 'hopeful' that a team would recognize his value and give him a chance to make a comeback.

As per David Land, Romain Grosjean's first team in IndyCar, Dale Coyne Racing, has given him that chance. However, the announcement was kept for later so that Grosjean could conclude his 2025 IMSA season with Lamborghini at the Petit Le Mans on October 12. Appearing on Chase Holden's podcast on YouTube a couple of days before the Petit Le Mans, Land said [13:58 onwards]:

"You mentioned Romain Grosjean, who we fully expect will be announced very soon at Dale Coyne Racing. Actually, I think part of what we're waiting on with Romain is that his last race with the Lamborghini team is this weekend at the Petit Le Mans. I would not be surprised if once he's done with that particular obligation, he will be a free agent to be able to officially announce signing with Dale Coyne Racing."

Grosjean equaled his career-best IMSA result at the Petit Le Mans on Sunday. Driving alongside Edoardo Mortara and former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat, he finished fourth overall in the No. 63 Lamborghini SC63. It was also Lamborghini's last race for the foreseeable future, with the Italian manufacturer having put its IMSA GTP program "on hold" for 2026.

What Romain Grosjean's move to Dale Coyne Racing would mean for the 2026 IndyCar driver market

Romain Grosjean at IndyCar's Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

Romain Grosjean's move to Dale Coyne Racing would complete the team's 2026 roster. The team announced the signing of 2025 Indy NXT champion Dennis Hauger in September, and the Norwegian driver has already completed his first IndyCar test with them at Mid-Ohio.

After Grosjean's announcement, there will be only two seats left open - one each at AJ Foyt Racing and Juncos Hollinger Racing. The latter seat has reportedly been occupied by Rinus Veekay, with the former Dale Coyne Racing driver set to replace Conor Daly.

As for AJFR, the Larry Foyt-led team is seemingly interested in signing 2025 Indy NXT runner-up Caio Collet. He impressed with his lap times in the Mid-Ohio test and got a second call for the test at the IMS road course on Monday (October 13).