Formula 1

[37424]

Grosjean should get a lotto ticket later, he has all the world's luck and good fortune today

Indeed like a scene from the old days, i expect there will be a lot questions to answer.

 

[Trackman]

I honestly thought I’d just watched a fatal accident. Very glad it wasn’t !

Yes, thank god he is still alive and unbelievably walk away from it.
I had the news on with the sound down and I thought 'He's had it' next minute it shows him jumping over the barrier!

 

[JamesT]

Indeed like a scene from the old days, i expect there will be a lot questions to answer.

I think they’ll want to look hardest at the placing and design of the barriers. Sticking out like that where they can collect cars doesn’t seem ideal.

The car breaking apart is not necessarily a bad thing as it will be dissipating some of the energy of the crash. Whether more could be done to protect the fuel tank may be another matter.

 

[LOL The Irony]

That was a big one, thank god Romain's alive and relatively ok.

 

[DarloRich]

That was a big one, thank god Romain's alive and relatively ok.

Haven't seen the race. Only the clips. Shocking. Walked away with minor burns and a potential broken rib.

 

[GB]

Haven't seen the race. Only the clips. Shocking. Walked away with minor burns and a potential broken rib.

none of us have seen the race yet

 

[Darandio]

none of us have seen the race yet

We have just had the first full racing lap though. Progress.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Nooooooo Checo...

 

[GB]

Felt bad for him and his team, but as a Mclaren fan I approve of the result.

 

[najaB]

I think they’ll want to look hardest at the placing and design of the barriers. Sticking out like that where they can collect cars doesn’t seem ideal.

I don't think they ever even considered that a car would be heading so far off the track on the inside of a corner.

 

[Domh245]

I don't think they ever even considered that a car would be heading so far off the track on the inside of a corner.

It was very similar to Kvyat's crash at Silverstone in that respect - it wasn't anticipated that a car would ever be arriving at the barrier at that bit of the circuit with any sort of speed but as both that and today's incident shows - it's never a zero probability. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see tyre barriers put up there ahead of the sakhir GP next week, or indeed going forward on all circuits. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any good reason for there to be either exposed armco or concrete barriers on a circuit

 

[birchesgreen]

No it was a pretty freak accident.

 

[37424]

It was very similar to Kvyat's crash at Silverstone in that respect - it wasn't anticipated that a car would ever be arriving at the barrier at that bit of the circuit with any sort of speed but as both that and today's incident shows - it's never a zero probability. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see tyre barriers put up there ahead of the sakhir GP next week, or indeed going forward on all circuits. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any good reason for there to be either exposed armco or concrete barriers on a circuit

Except its a different circuit next week, but clearly there are a number of things to look at as Ross Brawn indicated in an interview with sky particularly the barriers and the car bursting into flames.

 

[JamesT]

Except its a different circuit next week, but clearly there are a number of things to look at as Ross Brawn indicated in an interview with sky particularly the barriers and the car bursting into flames.

They’re actually at the same place next weekend. Like Austria and Silverstone they’re doing a double header.
They are using a slightly different layout without much of the infield section, but the bit that Grosjean crashed at will be included.

 

[najaB]

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any good reason for there to be either exposed armco or concrete barriers on a circuit

I don't think they deliberately expose it, rather they never thought to cover it. Live you said, it's possible that the FIA will require all exposed concrete and Armco barriers to have at least tires in front of them.

 

[Domh245]

No it was a pretty freak accident.

Doesn't mean there aren't lessons to be learned and safety improvements to be made. The fact that a car can split open and wedge itself inside a barrier if it hits it at just the wrong angle isn't something that you go "ah well, it's unlikely to happen again"

 

[birchesgreen]

Doesn't mean there aren't lessons to be learned and safety improvements to be made. The fact that a car can split open and wedge itself inside a barrier if it hits it at just the wrong angle isn't something that you go "ah well, it's unlikely to happen again"

Oh indeed, i just meant it was an unlikely occurrance. However, it is such like which drives change so i expect there will be a review of barriers in "unlikely" parts of circuits now.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Here's the interview with Ross Brawn

 

[Jamesrob637]

They're on record saying that Jules Bianchi would have survived had the halo been on cars back when? 2015 was it? Glad Grosjean is alive though, horrible crash that was.

 

[DarloRich]

There is a helicopter shot of the crash that shows Grosjean was in the fire for at least 20 seconds! It is incredible that he was able to survive the impact and was conscious let alone walk away from a fire like that. The Halo clearly saved his life in the impact but to be able to extricate himself from the fire is amazing. The full technical investigation report will make interesting reading.

The medical car staff were straight into the fire and the marshals rushed straight in to try and tackle the fire. I thought the first person attacking the fire from the circuit side was the medical car driver. It is actually a marshal who ran across the track carrying an extinguisher.

You also have to wonder how much luck plays a part. That surely cant be measured but if you are unlucky all of the great technology and brave actions of the safety team wont help.

This is an awful accident and one that needs to be looked at very carefully with lessons absorbed to improve things again.

EDIT - Pietro Fittipaldi (Grandson of Emerson Fittipaldi) will cover for Grosjean at the Sakhir Grand Prix

 

[LOL The Irony]

They're on record saying that Jules Bianchi would have survived had the halo been on cars back when?

I think they've gone on record saying the opposite, which has been a source of criticism of the halo.

2015 was it?

Accident was Japan 2014 and he died in 2015.

There is a helicopter shot of the crash that shows Grosjean was in the fire for at least 20 seconds!

Paul diResta timed impact to extraction at 18-20 seconds.

EDIT:
Grosjean is to be replaced by Pietro Fittipaldi for Sakhir

Romain Grosjean to be replaced by reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi at Sakhir Grand Prix

Romain Grosjean will continue his recovery following crash at Bahrain Grand Prix

www.telegraph.co.uk

Romain Grosjean has been ruled out of this weekend's Sakhir Grand Prix following the burn injuries sustained in his terrifying 140mph fireball crash.

Grosjean's Haas team said treatment on the Frenchman's hands following the harrowing accident at Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix is "going well", but that he will spend another night in hospital.

The team said it is anticipated that Grosjean, 34, will be discharged on Tuesday.

He will be replaced by the team's Brazilian reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi this weekend on the outer loop of the Sakhir Circuit in Bahrain.

The 24-year-old, who is the grandson of double world champion Emerson Fittipaldi, will be handed his F1 debut.

Grosjean's participation at the season-concluding race in Abu Dhabi a week on Sunday, which is set to be his last in the sport, is uncertain.

"Romain Grosjean is continuing his convalescence at the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) hospital having remained there overnight following Sunday's incident at the Bahrain GP," the Haas statement said.

"Treatment on the burns Grosjean sustained on the back of both his hands is going well. Grosjean was visited by Gunther Steiner, team principal of Haas F1 Team, on Monday, and it is anticipated he will be discharged from the care of the hospital on Tuesday 1st December."

Steiner said: "After it was decided that the best thing for Romain was to skip at least one race, the choice to put Pietro in the car was pretty easy. It's the right thing to do and it's obviously a good opportunity for him."

Fittipaldi added: "Importantly I'm happy Romain is safe and healthy. We're all very happy his injuries are relatively minor after such a huge incident.

"Obviously, it's not an ideal set of circumstances to get my first opportunity to compete in Formula One, but I'm extremely grateful."

Speaking from his hospital bed just hours after surviving the most dramatic accident of recent memory, Grosjean credited the sport's controversial halo device with saving his life.

The French driver's car split in two and burst into flames after he pierced through a steel barrier at 137mph following a collision with AlphaTauri's Daniil Kvyat.

Grosjean scrambled to get out of his burning wreckage for almost half a minute before leaping to safety.

The force of the impact registered at 53G, but Grosjean escaped with just minor burns to his hands. He was airlifted to the BDF Military Hospital, 10 miles north of the Bahrain International Circuit.

The halo device — a three-pronged titanium protection system which sits above the driver's head and was introduced in 2018 - played a prominent role in the Frenchman's remarkable survival.

Grosjean had been sceptical about the introduction of the halo, but on Sunday night, with both his hands in bandages and tubes monitoring his vital statistics, he said: "I wasn't for the halo some years ago but I think it's the greatest thing that we brought to Formula One and without it I wouldn't be able to speak to you today."

 

[najaB]

I think they've gone on record saying the opposite, which has been a source of criticism of the halo.

I've heard it said both ways, I think the only answer we can give is "it's unclear".

 

[gnolife]

I think they've gone on record saying the opposite, which has been a source of criticism of the halo.

Which seems like clear nonsense to me - arguing that a safety feature may not have prevented one specific death (which is at best speculative) doesn't mean that it won't be effective in preventing future deaths

 

[DarloRich]

Karun Chandhok has tweeted to say that a new f1 race suit rated for 20 seconds fire resistance was approved for this season. The gloves (and boots?) in use haven't changed and are only rated for 10 seconds exposure like the older race suits which might explain some of the burns suffered by Grosjean

Another bit of luck!

Which seems like clear nonsense to me - arguing that a safety feature may not have prevented one specific death (which is at best speculative) doesn't mean that it won't be effective in preventing future deaths

Interesting that a number of drivers, Grosjean in his hospital statement included, have come out to say their initial resistance to the Halo was wrong. It looks awful but it is clearly a life saver. I was against ( not in the spirit of F! or some-such conceited nonsense) it but the evidence shows that was wrong.

 

[Geezertronic]

And he lost one of his boots on the way out of the car. I like others thought we'd witnessed a fatal, but the safety protection including the halo and onsite presence from track Marshalls & safety car personnel did its job meaning he gets to go home which is incredible given the crash.

Bad luck for Perez, Albon may get another lifeline, ironic to see Sainz overtake LeClerc a couple of times too - wonder whether that will happen in the same equipment next year

 

[LOL The Irony]

Which seems like clear nonsense to me - arguing that a safety feature may not have prevented one specific death (which is at best speculative) doesn't mean that it won't be effective in preventing future deaths

The issue arose because it was a reaction to Jules's death but then they said it wouldn't have saved him - "So why have you made the cars heavier, more expensive & uglier when it wouldn't have saved him?", if you get the drift.

It looks awful but it is clearly a life saver. I was against ( not in the spirit of F! or some-such conceited nonsense) it but the evidence shows that was wrong.

I'm along the same lines but I still think the aesthetic issues and 2 massive holes in it still need sorting out, both of which could be done by adding the shield or aeroscreen.

 

[najaB]

"So why have you made the cars heavier, more expensive & uglier when it wouldn't have saved him?"

To which the answer is: "Ask Alonso, Alex Peroni and Grosjean what they think of the halo."

 

[LOL The Irony]

To which the answer is: "Ask Alonso, Alex Peroni and Grosjean what they think of the halo."

I think you're missing the point. They introduced the halo as part of the reaction to Jules's death and then said it wouldn't have saved him, which makes the entire thing seem pointless. (And I can't believe I have to say this but we have seen it's not pointless)

 

[Domh245]

I'm along the same lines but I still think the aesthetic issues and 2 massive holes in it still need sorting out, both of which could be done by adding the shield or aeroscreen.

There's plenty of arguments for the aeroscreen (presume you mean the one as used in indycar) but aesthetics is not one! Head on the cars look awful I think, due to the combination of height and slab-sidedness

 

[LOL The Irony]

There's plenty of arguments for the aeroscreen (presume you mean the one as used in indycar) but aesthetics is not one! Head on the cars look awful I think, due to the combination of height and slab-sidedness

The original one looks better because it slopes down and has a lower profile (however is less safe). The shield is still the best looking option and could probably meet up with the halo better without looking slab-sided.