F1 driver Romain Grosjean was lucky to escape after his F1 car burst into flames. Video / F1 / AFCAMDEN / Spark Sport
The Bahrain Grand Prix was red-flagged on the first lap after a horrific moment that saw Romain Grosjean's Haas engulfed in a fireball after colliding with the barriers.
Grosjean climbed out of the car through the flames and was dragged away from the fire by marshals before being helicoptered to hospital with a suspected broken rib and burns.
It was a terrifying moment after the start with all the drivers bunched up.
The close-up view of Romain Grosjean being rescued from this fiery crash in Bahrain today is absolutely terrifying — and amazing... pic.twitter.com/aU9PXUsMiB
But with some going wide, it appeared as though Grosjean tried to cut through the pack into a gap but came in contact with the wheel of AlphaTauri's Daniil Kvyat, driving straight into the barrier at turn 3, a corner which is taken at approximately 140m/h (225km/h).
The car was sliced in half by the barrier with the tail sitting separate from the fire.
Haas team principal Gunther Steiner was quick to thank the rescue crews for their reactions, calling the crash "scary".
Romain Grosjean's car explodes in fireball after hitting the wall. Photo / Twitter @F1
Staff extinguish flames from Haas driver Romain Grosjean's car during the Formula One race in Bahrain. Photo / AP
"The latest what I've got, he's doing OK," he told Sky Sports. "I don't want to make a medical comment here but he had light burns on his hands and ankles. He's obviously shaken and for sure is going through all the checks you need to do after an impact like this but he's conscious and he's fine.
"If you see where the barrier has been torn down, it's unbelievable. I think we were lucky by being unlucky. I prefer that luck than racing luck."
Sky Sports' David Croft immediately called the crash "horrendous" as the race was immediately red flagged.
Martin Brundle added that it was "so unusual to see a Formula One car with all the safety cells and fuel and what have you immediately go into flames".
"The driver is well protected with fire proof clothing, helmet, gloves, boots and everything but that just went straight up," he said.
UPDATE: As a precaution and for further medical evaluation Romain will be transported to hospital.#HaasF1#BahrainGP
STEINER: "Romain is doing okay, I don't want to make a medical comment but he had light burns on his hands and ankles. Obviously he's shaken... I want to thank the rescue crews who are very quick. The marshals and FIA people they did a great job, it was scary"#BahrainGP 🇧🇭 pic.twitter.com/lWbZd17ynw
But Brundle said he couldn't remember a time he had seen a car explode like that.
Grosjean was taken by the medical staff to an ambulance before being taken by helicopter to hospital.
Marshals were lucky as well with two tyres flying off the car, before they rushed to Grosjean's aid.
"That's a miracle," Brundle said, while Croft added "I've not seen a car like that in my time commentating in Formula One".
Brundle continued: "It's pierced the barrier like a tin opener and that's just levered the car apart such was the energy. But full respect to the FIA, and the teams and the designers and all the stress analysis for constantly trying to improve the structural integrity of the survival cell or the chassis. That's just saved his life because that is just extraordinary."
Marshals run to extinguish Haas driver Romain Grosjean's car after an accident during the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir, Bahrain. Photo / AP
"The fact that Romain Grosjean has survived that crash is not only miraculous but quite frankly marvellous as well," Croft said. "That is horrendous."
The pit crews were left stunned with many looking on in disbelief.
Former F1 champion Damon Hill said it's been a long time since Formula One has seen a crash like that.
The cockpit of Haas driver Romain Grosjean's car showing the 'halo' bar structure still intact following the crash. Photo / AP
"Like everyone, absolute shock and horror," he said of his first reactions to the incident.
"I was just thinking the drivers going down the straight would have looked in their mirrors and seen the flames. I think it's so long since we've seen anything like that. It's such an unusual sight to see a fuel fire and then to see how he actually impacted the barriers and gone straight through, we can't jump to any conclusions at all but it looks like the halo has saved Romain from worse injury there."
The halo is a titanium curved bar structure that sits above the drivers' head to protect them from flying debris and were only made mandatory in 2018.
Haas driver Romain Grosjean of France is helped by medical staff after he crashed his car during the Formula One race in Bahrain International Circuit. Photo / AP
World champion Lewis Hamilton tweeted from the paddock about how dangerous the sport is.
"I'm so grateful Romain is safe. Wow … the risk we take is no joke, for those of you out there that forget that we put our life on the line for this sport and for what we love to do. Thankful to the FIA for the massive strides we've taken for Romain to walk away from that safely," he tweeted.
I'm so grateful Romain is safe. Wow... the risk we take is no joke, for those of you out there that forget that we put our life on the line for this sport and for what we love to do. Thankful to the FIA for the massive strides we've taken for Romain to walk away from that safely https://t.co/dG8AXmsbKN
