How F1's safety advances saved Grosjean

Romain Grosjean credited the halo for saving him after his horror Bahrain Grand Prix crash. But, while F1's newest safety feature deserved a show of gratitude, it was a whole range of procedures and devices in place (plus a slice of luck) that proved vital

Jake Boxall-Legge Nov 30, 2020, 2:45 PM

Upd: Dec 1, 2020, 12:46 AM

Romain Grosjean's escape from the burning wreckage of his Haas VF-20 is nothing short of miraculous. That he was able to extricate himself, leap out of the barrier-entangled safety cell and into the arms of Alan van der Merwe and Dr Ian Roberts was a remarkable piece of luck that left all to breathe a sigh of relief.

When he drifted to the right on the exit of Turn 3, seemingly to avoid debris produced by Lando Norris' McLaren after he was sandwiched between Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, Grosjean pulled across the path of Daniil Kvyat and was turned directly into the face of the barrier. He hit the barrier with such force - recorded with a peak impact at 50g hitting the barrier at 137mph - that his car powered through it like a ballistic missile, tearing the Armco asunder.

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Author Jake Boxall-Legge

Jake Boxall-Legge Autosport’s Technical Editor. Having studied Automotive Engineering with Motorsport at the University of Hertfordshire, West Country-born Jake's original ambition was to design racing cars. During a year between studies in which he accidentally rekindled a love of writing, he took up a Master's in Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes. Halfway through his master's year, he was offered a place on the Autosport Academy, conducting occasional freelance duties before becoming the press officer for Formula 2 and GP3 in 2018. Autosport offered him a return to the fold later that year to serve as its Technical Editor. His voice appears on a number of videos and podcasts, and can often be found writing about terrible Formula 1 cars in excruciating detail. In his spare time, Jake enjoys baking and blames his failure to make it past the Great British Bake-Off interviews on his tenuous grasp on choux pastry. His dream is to open a brunch cafe - and his willingness to make outrageous puns in inappropriate situations has earned him the contempt of his colleagues.