Romain Grosjean pursuing arbitration against Andretti Autosport over contract dispute

Ex-Andretti Autosport driver Romain Grosjean is initiating arbitration proceedings against the IndyCar team, the Swiss-born Frenchman announced on social media Wednesday afternoon.

At the heart of the proceeding is believed to be this: Following Grosjean's back-to-back runner-up finishes at Long Beach and Barber and poles at St. Pete and Barber, contract paperwork was drawn up by one of the two sides. The 37-year-old ex-Formula 1 driver, is understood to have signed and sent it to Andretti Autosport owners Michael Andretti and Dan Towriss to sign and finalize.

The contract is not believed to have been returned to Grosjean.

When asked about the details by IndyStar in Nashville during IndyCar's Music City Grand Prix weekend in early-August, the driver simply smiled at a reporter, paused and said, "No comment."

Will this case be filed in the court system?

Unlike Chip Ganassi Racing's lawsuit against Alex Palou that was originally filed in July 2022 in Marion County Superior Court, later moved to U.S. federal court and settled after multiple private mediation sessions out of court, Grosjean's move to immediately file for arbitration likely means this controversy will take place outside of the public eye.

Grosjean, on the other hand, has triggered an arbitration hearing that is common in deals ranging from small, everyday business deals to athlete contracts. Arbitration clauses are often written directly into parts of contracts, meaning disputes can be sent to an independent third party, often a lawyer.

Last year, CGR filed arbitration against a former sponsor it had deals with in IndyCar and Extreme E -- SEGI -- that failed to pay the bulk of two separate multi-year sponsorship agreements that totaled nearly $28 million dollars. In private arbitration, CGR landed an award against SEGI of more than $16 million in December of 2022.

In March of this year, CGR filed a case in the Marion County Superior Court system to confirm its arbitration award and enforce the payment. In August of this year, a judge granted a motion for default judgement for that entire $16,124,531.96 award against SEGI and its founder Edward Sylvan. Similarly, the only time we're likely to uncover specifics of this case (unless one of the parties opts to go public with their side of the story) is if the arbitration process rules in favor of Grosjean -- leading to a financial settlement that he then moves to the public court system to legally enforce.

Side note: Ganassi's lawyer in that case? John Maley of Barnes and Thornburg, LLP, one of the two lawyers representing Grosjean (along with B&T's Mark Owens) in his push for arbitration against Andretti.

How did Grosjean and Andretti get here?

Grosjean kicked off his 2023 IndyCar campaign with his second IndyCar pole (and his first in nearly two years) at St. Pete, but his weekend ended with him banging stacks of tires with his fist after he and then-race leader Scott McLaughlin crashed in Turn 4 running side-by-side well past the halfway point.

The Andretti driver's oh-so-close start to the year continued in Race 2 at Texas Motor Speedway, where he was running in the top-5 with under two laps to go when he got loose and hit the wall, slating him 14th. Frustration with traffic during Long Beach kept him off the pole -- in a race polesitter and then-teammate Kyle Kirkwood would go on to win. Grosjean settled for 2nd-place, as he did again two weeks later at Barber after starting on pole.

Despite the near-misses on what would've been his first victory of any kind in more than a decade, Grosjean entered May lighthearted, positive and confident, often joking with reporters -- even after a GMR Grand Prix weekend where he finished 11th a day after qualifying traffic left him screaming on pitlane.

"I think we're building something that took a bit longer than we wanted, but something that has us in a very strong place as a team," he told reporters during practice week for the Indy 500. "We all want the same thing, so let's see what we can do officially, but (Andretti Autosport) wants what I want, and that's to carry on together. We're building something strong."

At the same time, Grosjean admitted that team owner Michael Andretti's comments to NBC Sports about trying to temper his occasional emotional outbursts were foolhardy.

"You won't change me. I've been like this all my career," the driver said. "That means on some days, I'm incredible, and some days I'm not that good, but that's my passion for it. The day I'm not frustrated being blocked in qualifying is the day it's time to say 'bye' to you guys."

In noting the sides were working toward formalizing a longer future together, Andretti told NBC of Grosjean, "He is knocking on the door, and once he gets through it, he can knock out three or four wins here this year if things go right. When he (controls his excitement), he does his best work. He's doing a great job, a big turnaround from last year, and I'm really proud of him."

It's around this time, IndyStar understands, when Grosjean signed a future contract he sent to Andretti that was never returned.

The season for the No. 28 Honda crew then took a rapid turn for the worst.

'This team can win' Amidst slump and contract talks, Romain Grosjean wants to stay at Andretti

Following his back-to-back 2nd-place finishes, Grosjean logged eight-straight results outside the top-10 − including DNFs at the 500 (crash) and street races at Detroit (alleged mechanical failure) and Toronto (where Grosjean said the steering wheel slipped from his hands). His 6th-place finish at Nashville marked his third and final top-10 of the year, slotting him 13th in points, identical to his finish in 2022, his first full-time IndyCar campaign and the first season of a two-year deal with Andretti Autosport.

By that point, whether it be from confounding results on-track or the way in which he reacted -- and at times publicly berated Andretti team members for his car's lack of performance off of it -- Michael Andretti's patience was wearing thin. In his eyes, Grosjean's emotional outbursts were no longer just something to watch out for.

“He’s fast. Pleasant guy, great guy, but when it’s negative comments about the team, yeah, that’s frustrating. And it’s not even just me. The guys, they take it to heart, because they’re busting their (butts)," Michael Andretti told IndyStar at Iowa in July. "Everyone makes mistakes – he’s made his share as well. I think that’s where Romain sometimes has a problem controlling his adrenaline.

"Once he calms down, he’s more measured, but in the heat of the moment, I think he has a problem. It’s probably been his biggest downfall while he’s been here.”

In the closing stretch of the season, Grosjean and Andretti acknowledged the driver would not return in 2024. He finished 11th in the season-finale at Laguna Seca. Not long after, longtime Andretti primary sponsor DHL confirmed a previous IndyStar report that the company would not return in 2024 − with all signs pointing to the global logistics and shipping company will move to Chip Ganassi Racing next season.

Insider: Michael Andretti navigating IndyCar rollercoaster while waiting on answer for F1 bid

Where do Andretti, Grosjean go from here?

Andretti has three drivers locked into long-term deals, incumbents Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood, and newcomer Marcus Ericsson. He arrives after a four-year stint at CGR that included four wins (most notably the '22 Indy 500) and three 6th-place championship finishes (2021-23). After losing a spot in next season's Leaders Circle program − which pays roughly $1 million to the top-22 point-scoring entrants from the previous season − by a single point with its No. 29 car of now ex-Andretti driver Devlin DeFrancesco, it's unclear whether Andretti Autosport will run a fourth full-time IndyCar entry, as it has for several years.

When reached for comment by IndyStar, Grosjean declined to comment on the legal proceedings, only further reiterating that he will continue "looking forward to the future." His debut IndyCar home, Dale Coyne Racing, is yet to confirm a driver for its two-car program in 2024, appearing the most viable option for Grosjean should sponsorship be found to cover the funding of his program and his sizable salary.

Ed Carpenter Racing also has a full-time ride open -- one where budget doesn't appear to be a prime factor -- along with one available seat at Juncos Hollinger Racing (where finding sponsorship is far more pivotal). Though seemingly less likely, AJ Foyt Racing and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing have not yet confirmed their lineups for 2024.

Outside IndyCar, Grosjean has also been hard at work helping Lamborghini's sportscar program get up to speed, ahead of the veteran driver joining the team as an endurance driver in IMSA for 2024. In the offseason between the 2021 and 2022 IndyCar seasons (ahead of his move to Andretti as a full-time driver), Grosjean moved his wife and three kids to Miami. For a driver who had lived and spent much of his competitive racing life competing in Europe, the life change was a massive show of faith towards putting down roots and committing several years to racing in North America.

"I hope I can find a ride in IndyCar next year," Grosjean told IndyStaron Wednesday. "Things are moving, and hopefully things come through. I'm hoping to be on the grid. I love the fans and love the series."

When reached requesting comment on Grosjean's stated plans to seek an arbitration judgement against the team, an official with Andretti Autosport declined to comment, citing the team's policy regarding ongoing legal matters.

Read Grosjean's full statement posted to his social media pages

I enjoyed working with the IndyCar team at Andretti Autosport and am proud of the successes we shared through two seasons. I am thankful for the many friendships developed at the highest level of American open-wheel racing.

I had expected to continue racing with the fine people of Andretti Autosport in the coming years. I am disappointed that is not being fulfilled and wish (the) Andretti team members well. I am pursuing other options to continue my IndyCar career in pursuit of excellence.

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.

Respectfully,Romain Grosjean

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Romain Grosjean, Andretti caught in latest IndyCar contract drama