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The 34-year-old was involved in a horrific incident just as Sunday’s Bahrain stage began.
After contacting Russian Danil Kviat at the third turn, the Haas car he was driving crashed into the track fences at a speed of 220 km per hour.
The car split in half and turned into a column of fire that ignited spilled fuel from a full tank.
The blow was so strong that the front of Mr. Grosjean’s car, with the driver himself, simply went through the barrier and found itself on the opposite side.
Marshals, who were greeted by a blind wall of fire, entered the crash site in an instant with a safety car following the racing pellet after the start.
A second later, however, R. Grosjean emerged from it and managed to free himself from the wreckage of the car.
“We haven’t seen a fire like this in 12 years. After such an accident, it seemed incredible that we saw Rome himself getting out of the car,” said Alan van der Merwe, the driver of the safety car, who sprayed the pilot who had jumped. fire with a fire extinguisher.
The close-up view of Romain Grosjean being rescued from this fiery accident in Bahrain today is absolutely terrifying, and amazing … pic.twitter.com/aU9PXUsMiB
– Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) November 29, 2020
“It’s a shocking image that I haven’t seen in years. I don’t know what load he put during the hit, but I just thank fate that the track barrier didn’t rip his head off. It could all have ended much worse, “said Lewis Hamilton, a Briton who later won the race and clinched his seventh Formula 1 title early.
“Frankly, it’s a miracle that he survived,” surprised Kevin Magnussen, a teammate of Grosjean from Denmark.
“The accident looked like a movie. Until I went back to the same place, his car was still on fire, he was very worried. “It’s incredible that he managed to get out of the flames himself,” added George Russell, who was closest to the incident.
Extraordinary image of Romain Grosjean’s F1 car in Bahrain. Car cut in half and engulfed by fire. The driver somehow seems unharmed – testimony again of the halo pic.twitter.com/9BDNHcmFbi
– Oliver Brown (@oliverbrown_tel) November 29, 2020
But thank you in this case it takes more than providence.
For a decade, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) has been improving safety solutions to protect racers driving open-body cars from external objects.
These investigations were prompted by the tragedy of 2009, when a dislodged tire from a competitor’s car killed Britain’s Henry Surtees in a Formula 2 race.
That same year, the Brazilian Felipe Massa was hit by the “lost” spring of another car.
In 2014, after a serious accident, Frenchman Jules Bianchi, who suffered a serious head injury, did not recover.
Finally, in 2018, the FIA improved Formula 1 cars above the cockpit by lifting a titanium fiber safety arch called a “halo.”
This ugly halo, introduced in 2018, probably what saved Grosjean’s head. # F1 #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/kqYSk4y4aY
– Aizat H (@aizatbh) November 29, 2020
“There is absolutely no doubt that the ‘halo’ saved Grosjean’s life. If you remember, a lot of people didn’t want this tool at first. I don’t think anyone is arguing about the need for a ‘halo’ at this point, “said Ross Brown, Formula 1 CEO.
the intensity of that impact sliced the car in two, the cabin jammed between the barrier – seeing Grosjean jump out of that car safe and sound is a sight for which I am truly and genuinely grateful
shows how far FIA safety technology has come with halo and survival cell technology pic.twitter.com/5NCdqymU9j
– # 5 (@dammitabai) November 29, 2020
Max Verstappen, who has been particularly critical of the “halo” due to the darkened details and altered aerodynamic properties of the car, is now taking his word for it.
“It was scary to see a colleague’s car on fire. The most important thing is that it was released. Obviously, the level of safety in our sport has increased enormously. I agree that ‘halo’ saved lives today,” admitted the star of Dutch Formula 1.
“They created a ‘halo’ after my son died, and today it saved Romain’s life. I’m glad he hardly suffered, “added Binechi’s mother, Christine Bianchi, when asked by Canal + journalists about the Grosjean accident.
The same was said by R. Grosjean himself, who shared a video of a hospital in Bahrain with fans.
“I did not support the idea of a halo a few years ago, but it is definitely one of the best innovations in Formula 1. I would not be talking to you here today without it,” said the Frenchman.
But while everyone applauds the creators of the “halo”, the FIA will once again have to turn its head towards the track barriers, as well as towards the car’s fuel tank.
“The accident was catastrophic, it is clear that the events took an unexpected turn. Everything will have to be explored. Understandably, the car fell apart and the fuel caught fire. We haven’t seen this in a long time, because the fuel tanks in Formula 1 are incredibly strong. I am assuming only a portion of the fuel that leaked from the damaged connector ignited.
The flames looked very large visually, but keep in mind that at the start of the race, the car was carrying about 100 kilograms of fuel. If that amount of fuel were lit, the fire would be huge. It turned out that only a few kilograms burned there, not a hundred, “said R. Brown.
R. Grosjean, who has scored just two points this season, will leave Haas’s team next winter. The veteran has been racing in Formula 1 since 2009.
Hamilton won the Bahrain race, which was suspended for over an hour, Verstappen was second and Alexander Albon, the other Red Bull driver, was third.
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