[ad_1]
Romain Grosjean has said that the controversial Halo safety device saved his life after he escaped from a dramatic high-speed accident.
The driver spoke from his hospital bed within hours of surviving the most dramatic accident in recent memory. Formula One history during Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
The 34-year-old car split in two and burst into flames after it smashed through a steel barrier at 140 mph following a collision with Daniil Kvyat of AlphaTauri.
The French driver rushed out of his burning wreckage for nearly half a minute before reaching safety.
Despite the impact force being recorded at 53G, Grosjean escaped with minor burns to his hands.
And the halo device, a three-prong titanium crash bar that sits over the driver’s head and was introduced in 2018, played a significant role in the Frenchman’s remarkable survival.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Romain Grosjean updates from the hospital
Grosjean He said he had been skeptical of its introduction but had since changed his mind.
“I was not in favor of the halo a few years ago, but I think it’s the best thing we brought to Formula One and without it I couldn’t talk to you today,” he said.
The Haas driver remained at the BDF Military Hospital, 10 miles north of the Bahrain International Circuit, where he was airlifted Sunday night.
The video showed him with both hands in bandages and tubes monitoring his vital statistics.
Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, will launch an investigation into the accident amid questions about how Grosjean’s car penetrated a steel barrier, broke in two and why it caught fire.
FIA race director Michael Masi warned Sunday that it may be several months before investigation findings emerge.
Lewis Hamilton said the crash was a ‘stark reminder’ of the dangers of F1
“I would hate to speculate as to why the car went up in flames,” he said.
“We will conduct a full investigation from start to finish. It will take weeks, if not months, to analyze every aspect of what happened.”
Lewis hamilton, who has already secured the world championship, won Sunday’s race to clinch his 11th victory of the season.
“I am so grateful that the halo worked and the barrier did not cut off Romain’s head,” he said.
“It could have been a lot worse. It’s a stark reminder that this is a dangerous sport. I’d be lying if I said no, I don’t think about my future when I see an accident like that.”
“I’ve been running for 27 years and I was nine when I saw a child die the same day I won a race.
“I have always been aware of the dangers and risks that I take and when I come later in life I question it more than perhaps I did when I was 20 years old.”
