[ad_1]
(Motorsport-Total.com) – For many it is a miracle that Romain Grosjean survived the horrific accident at the Bahrain Grand Prix 1. The 34-year-old spent Monday night in a military hospital in Riffa, 17 kilometers by road north of the hippodrome. With bandaged hands, due to burns, but no broken bones, as an X-ray examination has shown.
© Motorsport Images
Romain Grosjean was taken for the first time by ambulance. Focus
At 11:30 pm local time, the team leader, Günther Steiner, spoke to some representatives of the media for the first time in a reasonably relaxed manner, as is customary in these times through the Microsoft team meeting. Naturally, the question arose of who should be in their second car on the second weekend in Bahrain. After all, there will be training again in four days.
He’ll visit Grosjean in the hospital on Monday, Steiner says, “and then I hear what the doctors have to say. Then we decide. Of course, we always have a plan for such cases in the drawer, but right now it’s my plan.” that he himself will lead the race next weekend if he’s okay. But let’s wait and see. We have so much time. “
Steiner didn’t have time to visit Grosjean on Sunday: “I only spoke to him on the phone because we had a lot to clarify along the way.” For example, he had to update the owner of the team, Gene Haas, who was not there: “A lot of people called him too. It was important that he always had the latest information.”
Haas knows exactly, Steiner says, “that he was lucky. We all were. That is the determining feeling right now. A guardian angel stood by our side today. It was luck, and under these circumstances many people did exactly the right thing. That starts with Romain himself getting out of the car. You can see that on the rear-facing FOM camera. “
Grosjean was still on the phone with his wife Marion and their children on Saturday night, and was visited by FIA President Jean Todt at the hospital. Indirectly he owes his life to this. If Todt hadn’t prevailed against critics of Halo’s cockpit protection, Grosjean would probably no longer be alive by now.
A shock a 34-year-old father had to digest in the final third race of his Formula 1 career. Even if he should be in shape: does he even want to drive Bahrain 2? “I don’t know,” he greets Steiner and smiles, “At least I wouldn’t have asked him that this afternoon! I’ll visit him tomorrow and see how he feels.”
Photo gallery: Grosjean fire accident in Bahrain – the 15 most spectacular photos
If Grosjean says he doesn’t want to anymore, “I won’t push him,” Steiner clarifies. “He has to deal with that with himself. I stick to what he says. And I don’t know how he will feel tomorrow either. Tomorrow the adrenaline is gone and he feels the bruises, and then he thinks maybe a little different than today.”
Because on the first phone call, Grosjean didn’t give the impression of a man who just jumped a hair from the shovel: “He felt good, he was in a good mood. We even made jokes,” Steiner smiles, “and the accident argued a bit. He asked me some questions, and so did I. He just had his son on the phone. “
“But like I said: I don’t want to speculate on who could replace him as long as we don’t know if we have to replace him,” Steiner dismissed questions from reporters. “Now I’d like to give Romain a little time to let it all go through his head before he gives us his opinion. Then we will look further.”
“Right now,” Steiner says, “Romain is driving. And if not, then we’re ready. We know what we’d do.” But he doesn’t want to reveal that. In theory, Haas has two reserve drivers: Pietro Fittipaldi and Louis Deletraz. They are both in Bahrain anyway. But: “Now let’s wait for the doctors to give a detailed assessment of the severity of the injuries.”
It is already clear that the Haas Bahrain 2 will be driven with two cars: “We have enough spare parts, even with our modest budget,” Steiner clarifies. “We have to rebuild the second car, but there are enough parts for that.” At the same time he admits: “If something like this happens again next week, then we have a problem …”
