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The HANS device
Having collided with Daniil Kyvat’s AlphaTauri, Grosjean’s car ran uncontrollably off the track on the first lap of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix and hit a metal barrier at 137 mph. Onboard data readings have suggested the force of the impact was about 51g, but Grosjean remained conscious and was able to ditch the harness, remove the cockpit headrest and jump out of the burning debris.
The HANS device, or Head And Neck Support, will have helped protect the Frenchman from head and neck injuries during this violent deceleration. The HANS is the carbon strap-on gadget that is seen attached to the rear of drivers’ protective helmets, which is secured by the harness and prevents severe whiplash injuries in a crash. It has been a mandatory safety feature in F1 since 2003.
The halo
“I was not in favor of the halo a few years ago, but I think it is the best thing that we have brought to Formula 1, and without it I could not talk to you today.”
The sobering words of Romain Grosjean himself from his hospital bed on the night of the Bahrain Grand Prix. As the nose of his car broke through the unpadded metal barrier, the halo of titanium surrounding the cockpit separated the Armco sections as the Haas penetrated through the frame. Had the ultra-strong halo not been present, various F1 experts have suggested that Grosjean’s helmet would have interconnected with the barrier itself, likely leading to much more serious injuries.
Although the halo was scarred by the impact and the inferno that followed, it remained structurally sound throughout the incident.
The security cell
What made Grosjean’s accident particularly horrible was the way the car broke in two after impact. We are used to seeing fragments of carbon fiber flapping from the various wings and aerodynamic devices of an F1 car when they collide, but it is extremely rare to see the car fail structurally.
In this case, the front section of the Haas cut through the barrier at an angle, with the forces of the crash ripping the rear of the car away, along with the heavy engine and hybrid batteries. However, although the fuel system was punctured, the driver’s enormously stiff carbon fiber cabin, known as the safety cell, remained intact and unobstructed. This meant that Grosjean was given the best possible chance of getting out of his crashed car, rather than being caught in the fire.
Best flame retardant clothing
According to footage from the crash, Grosjean broke free from the burning car approximately 18 seconds after impact. According to former F1 driver and commentator Karun Chandhok, the FIA just this year updated the fire-retardant overalls that drivers wear, increasing their fire resistance time from 10 to 20 seconds.
However, the drivers’ gloves are of the above 10-second fireproof design, which may explain why Grosjean’s only injuries were second-degree burns to the back of his hands.
Sheriff and Medical Response Time
The Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate that follows F1 cars into the first lap is driven by racing driver Alan van der Merwe and manned by F1 deputy medical delegate Dr. Ian Roberts. While the 503 bhp C63 is a fast car, it is obviously left behind by the 1,000 bhp F1 monsters. If the accident had occurred later in the return, medical help would have taken longer to arrive.
However, Merwe stopped the medical car next to the scene of the accident just 10 seconds after it happened, while deputies arrived with fire extinguishers to douse the flames long enough to help Grosjean escape. Meanwhile, Dr. Roberts braved the intense heat to help the shocked Frenchman pass the destroyed barrier and to safety.
Medical vehicle driver Alan van der Merwe said: “It was also a big surprise for us, we have never seen so much fire in 12 years.
“Romain started getting out of the car himself, which was quite surprising after an accident like that. It was a relief to see that he was fine. “
Dr Ian Roberts told Sky Sports: “There was just a massive flame and when we got there it was a very strange scene, we had half the car pointing in the wrong direction and then right on the other side of the barrier, a mass of hot.
“We needed some way to get to him, and we had the marshal there with a fire extinguisher, and the extinguisher was enough to put out the flame. Romain then rose high enough for me to catch up and throw him over the barrier.
“He was obviously very shaky. His visor was completely opaque and, in fact, melted. I had to remove his helmet to check that everything was fine. “
Image: LAT Motorsport Images
