F1: The halo saved Grosjean’s life – Brawn

Here’s what’s left of Grosjean’s car (Photo: Imago)

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Romain Grosjean was in a major accident early in the first lap, with French driver Danyiil Kvjat hitting AlphaTauri’s front left tire, causing Haas to start sprinting towards the lane barrier, regularly breaking the car that immediately caught fire. Grosjean was able to come out of the flames 28 seconds after the impact of the 53 Gs, he first reported minor burns to his hands and ankles, and it is not ruled out that his ribs were broken, so as a precaution he was transported by ambulance helicopter to a nearby military hospital.

A heart attack moment on lap 1 in Bahrain

We are all incredibly grateful that @RGrosjean walked away from this incident#BahrainGP # F1 pic.twitter.com/6ZztuxOLhw

– Formula 1 (@ F1) November 29, 2020

Grosjean’s fall also shocked his rivals with his 95th career win at the Sahir. Lewis hamilton even during the interruption, he posted on Twitter and then after the knockout he highlighted how grateful he was for the halo, as without the head protection system the accident could have ended much worse.

“I am very grateful that Romain is safe. The risk we take is not a joke, I send it to those who forget that we risk our lives in this sport for what we love. Thanks to the FIA ​​for their efforts to get Romain safe. ” The seven-time world champion wrote on his community page.

“The case was very shocking. When I get in the car, I am aware of the risks that I run, I respect the danger posed by sports. It was horrible. I don’t know how hard he crashed, but I’m so thankful that the halo worked and that the tape barrier didn’t cut off his head or anything like that, it could have ended a lot worse. ” He added after a long career.

While Hamilton praised the International Automobile Federation and safety measures, the seventh ranked Daniel Ricciardo he criticized the editors. He said it was disrespectful to Grosjean and his family to constantly reproduce images of the accident during the forced breakup.

“I would like to express my displeasure and frustration with Formula One, the way the Grosjean accident was repeated over and over again without stopping was completely disrespectful to Romain, his family and our relatives as well. We waited there for over an hour to run again, and no matter how many times I looked up on TV, I only saw the fire and the car breaking in two. For me it was not fun, they played with our emotions, I think it was quite repulsive. I hope other competitors also express their disapproval in this regard, I would be surprised if they did not think similarly about it. “ He criticized harshly.

Formula One Technical Director, Ross brawn Like Hamilton, he drew attention to the importance of the halo, he feels that the solution has saved lives today.

“We need to look very carefully at exactly what factors led to the outcome of the accident, as things happened that shouldn’t have happened. The fire and the way the railing broke was very concerning. However, the safety of the car itself is definitely positive, it saved us. Ripping the railing from the tape has been a problem for several years and usually ended in death. There is no doubt that the halo has saved lives today and the teams that have championed a solution deserve respect. ” He declared.

Crossing the finish line as the thirteenth Sebastian Vettelt I was also surprised by the accident, but I’m glad I can get back in the car right away and not have to wait a week.

“At first I didn’t understand exactly what happened. Then I saw the flames and kept asking if Romain had escaped, but they didn’t know. It was a very bad feeling. After getting out of my car, I could already see that he had run away, that’s the point. I hope you are okay compared to the situation. I don’t know how he managed to get out since, as I saw, the car immediately caught fire. It was not easy to get back in the car after the incident, but I think it is better to return immediately, it is much better than having to wait a week. ” He explained that, like Ricciardo, he went on to reruns.

“People love things like that, if it weren’t for that the director wouldn’t have played them over and over again. Spectators love accidents and sometimes they may forget that we are sitting behind the wheel. We can say that this is part of the show. That’s exactly why I tried to be absorbed in not seeing the photos. ” He said, and, like Brawn, expressed concern about the tape railing and the fire.

Grosjean as team leader, Günther Steiner he said, saying that the contestant is fine, but that they will keep him in the hospital for the night.

“I just got off the phone with him, his mind is clear and he’s fine, but he still has to stay in the hospital for the night. I spoke to him and not the doctor, he felt fine and nothing seemed to be broken. His hand was bandaged due to burns, but he said he had no injuries elsewhere. I was happy enough. His physiotherapist immediately contacted Romain’s wife. They know each other well, they were connected to each other and they kept them informed. Tried to call too, but still haven’t reached it. Everything is very busy now when I called Romain, he said he had just talked to his son in front of him. ”

For now, it is questionable whether Grosjean could start next weekend’s race, which will also be held in Bahrain. The team leader believes that the driver will do everything possible to get back in the car.

“As far as I know, he wants to go back, but tomorrow it will be clear what will happen when the bandages are removed. The fact is that nothing bad happened, obviously it was not good, but it is safe and healthy. The rest will be discussed with doctors on Monday. I don’t even want to talk about an emergency plan, my emergency plan is for Romain to sit in the car if he feels like he can. “