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Formula One’s Romain Grosjean escapes fiery crash during Bahrain Grand Prix

French Formula One driver Romain Grosjean walked away from a horrific crash during last night’s Bahrain Grand Prix, escaping with just superficial burns to the hands and feet.


The Haas driver – who is without a seat for the 2021 season – hit an Armco barrier at approximately 220km/h, tearing a hole through the escape road fencing, splitting his car in half, and rupturing the fuel cell.

The impact was unofficially gauged at 54g, with commentators suggesting the Halo device – which was introduced in 2018 to protect drivers' heads – prevented more extensive injury.

 

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Aussie F1 superstar Daniel Ricciardo made his own frustrations clear, following the decision of TV networks to incessantly reply the accident before the race was restarted.

"I want to express my disgust and disappointment with Formula One," he told Dutch outlet Ziggo Sports.

"The way the incident of Grosjean was broadcast over and over, the replays over and over, it was completely disrespectful and inconsiderate for his family, for all of our families watching,” the seven-time race winner added.

"We're going to go race again in an hour and every time we look on the TV it's a ball of fire and his car's cut in half. I mean we can see that tomorrow, we don't need to see it today.

"For me, it was entertainment and they're playing with all of our emotions and I thought it was pretty disgusting. So hopefully some other drivers have spoke up. But if that's not how we all really feel then I'd be very surprised."

 

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Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas expressed similar concerns following the race.

The Haas team, which has struggled throughout the entire 2020 season, is expected to announce its line-up for next year in the coming weeks.

Mick Schumacher – the son of seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher – and his Formula 2 rival Nikita Mazepin, are considered front runners to replace current drivers Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen.

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William Davis

William Davis has written for Drive since July 2020, covering news and current affairs in the automotive industry. He has maintained a primary focus on industry trends, autonomous technology, electric vehicle regulations, and local environmental policy. As the newest addition to the Drive team, William was brought onboard for his attention to detail, writing skills, and strong work ethic. Despite writing for a diverse range of outlets – including the Australian Financial Review, Robb Report, and Property Observer – since completing his media degree at Macquarie University, William has always had a passion for cars.

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