I have never felt so numb in my life. To see a major accident happen during a race is devastating, heart wrenching and gut twisting. It brings you back down to earth and wakes you up. No matter how immersed we get into the world of motorsport, racing is dangerous and I think sometimes we forget that.
I have seen plenty of crashes and accidents in my many years of watching all kinds of racing but nothing compares to what I witnessed today. I'm sure you are well aware of what I am referring to but if not watch, or maybe not watch the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. Let's have a quick recap as to what happened.
The race starts normally. Everyone makes it through Turn 1 and Turn 2 with very little, if any, incidents. I think a couple of front wings were knocked and a bit of carbon fiber confetti was thrown over others but that was all until Haas's Romain Grosjean cut across Alpha Tauri's Daniil Kvyat. I couldn't believe what I was watching. All I could focus on was the fireball stuck in the barrier and half a car strewn across the run off area. Yes, half a car. I could not stop shaking or tweeting, for that matter. I just wanted whoever was stuck in that car to be ok. Someone was watching over Romain today. To get away from that crash with minor burns and a couple of broken ribs is incredible. You could call it a miracle but I think it is very important to recognise the real heroes of the hour and the safety regulations that enabled Romain to escape what could have easily been a tragic accident.
Thanks to many people, past and present, today's accident ended with a positive outlook. From previous drivers, to medics and marshals, these people have all had an impact on the level of safety in motorsport in this day and age.
Within moments of Romain Grosjean's accident, medics were on scene. Of course, the accident happened at Turn 3, if it was further on in the lap things could have been different but they were there, regardless. As were the marshals. All worked together in an attempt to save Romain from the fire. Fortunately, it is rare to see the medics out on track but when needed, they are there. Alan van der Merwe is the current driver of the Medical Car and is usually partnered by a certified FIA doctor. In this case it was Dr Ian Roberts. The Medical Car was first commissioned during the 1970's after the 1978 Italian Grand Prix by the late Dr Sid Watkins OBE. Sid Watkins was a big advocate when it came to safety in Formula One and we can thank him for how safe our sport has become in the last twenty or so years.
Previous crashes have also played their part in making motorsport as safe as it is today. For example, after an accident at an International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) testing session in the 1980's resulted in the death of a driver named Patrick Jacquemart, the HANS device was invented. The HANS device is a head restraint to reduce the likelihood of serious head injuries in an accident such as a basilar skull fracture that is usually fatal. Roland Ratzenberger sadly lost his life due to this injury at the 1994 San Marino Formula One Grand Prix. Then there is the halo, a controversial, driver, crash protection device which has saved many lives since it's introduction to Formula One in 2018. You can also look at the evolution of the chassis themselves and how they have evolved to protect the driver in circumstances like this one. When a motor racing car is designed, safety is always in mind.
These drivers put themselves through the risk of a serious accident every weekend for their passion and our entertainment. You come to think of them as immune to tragedy but when something happens it hits home. It hits home, hard. They are human, after all.
There are so many reasons as to why Romain Grosjean escaped from the fire ball. Some could call it fate, some could call it a miracle but we shouldn't take anything away from the real heroes of motor sport. Thank you so much to the medics, marshals, FIA, safety inspectors and anyone else who contributed to today's safety measures. You are stars.
Commenti