Romain Grosjean miraculously saves life at Bahrain F1 Grand Prix
Miracle at the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix Romain Grosjean, French driver of the Haas team, miraculously escaped the explosion of his car after crashing into the guardrail of the Bahrain circuit shortly after the start of the race.
The Frenchman's Haas hit the guardrail right at the start of the race, at the start of Turn 3 of the Sakhir circuit. Grosjean had previously brushed against Daniil Kvyat's Alpha Tauri, losing control of the car and then colliding with the iron protection structure at a speed of over 200 kilometres per hour.
The car broke violently in two and caught fire, forming an immense fireball, from which the French driver appeared after 27 seconds in flames.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) immediately reported that he was stable and had been taken by helicopter to a hospital in the Bahraini capital of Manama for a full study.
After the exact moment of the accident, the immediate arrival of the medical car to assist Grosjean was key. In addition, it was the FIA delegate, Ian Roberts, who first helped the Frenchman, who got out of the driver's cabin as best he could. He had got stuck in the first half of the car, which in turn was embedded in the guard rail. The rear part was completely broken up with the engine and other parts in sight. The incredible thing is that the Frenchman could get out on his own in that situation.
It was tremendous because the Haas broke into two pieces, an image rarely seen in F1. Meanwhile, there is speculation that the explosion of the gas tank set the French driver's car on fire.
Romain Grosjean was evacuated to hospital apparently with only minor burns to his hands and feet. He was safe, though logically shocked by such an accident.
Survival in the face of fire has to do with the protection of the fireproof suit worn by racing drivers. In this case, the F1 suits are capable of withstanding up to 850 degrees Celsius for just over half a minute. Grosjean was in fact almost 30 seconds inside his burning car while trying to escape from the frame to be helped by medical and racing assistance.
Gunter Steiner, Haas Team Manager, confirmed that the driver is in good condition considering what happened. "He has slight burns on his hands and ankles. He is fine and conscious. When you see the images you only think about when he gets out of the car. I want to thank the commissioners and the doctors for the speed and efficiency with which they have done their job," he said publicly.
The halo, the titanium piece that protects the driver's head, introduced in 2018, also helped in this situation by preventing a deformation of the chassis survival cell. To which we must add the important function that the driver's helmet also has in this type of accident.
Grosjean, 34, has been in Formula 1 for eleven seasons. He has been on the podium ten times with Lotus and this year he is facing what could be his last season in the Grand Circus, as he will not renew with Haas, his team for the last five seasons.
