The FIA has completed its investigation into the crash in which Romain Grosjean escaped death and the findings were published in a report.
The images of Romain Grosjean crashing into the crash barriers at high speed during the Bahrain GP and immediately turning into a big fireball we all remember well. HALO played an important role in Grosjean’s retelling of it all himself today, and now the FIA has completed its investigation into the crash to see what could be improved.
The investigation included interviews with those involved, inspection of the physical evidence, analysis of available video material, as well as an examination of the data from the F1 car’s accident data recorder and the accelerometers in Grosjean’s earphones.
The purpose of the investigation was to identify the causes of the crash as well as to look at other factors, which did not immediately contribute to the seriousness of the accident, in order to improve general safety in motorsport.
The report shows that Grosjean went into the crash barriers at 192 km / h and that a peak of 67G was measured. That enormous blow caused the middle guardrail to fail, the Haas monocoque to become trapped and the F1 car broke in two. The FIA report states that Grosjean’s car was badly damaged but that various safety features had done their job.
“The car suffered extensive damage during the collision, including the drivetrain coming loose from the survival chamber. The fuel tank inspection hatch on the left side of the chassis had been ripped away and the connection between the fuel supply to the engine and the fuel tank “safety bladder” had become loose, in both cases fuel could escape from the tank. ”
“The rider’s safety equipment, including helmet, HANS and safety harness, as well as the survival area, seat, headrest and Halo protection at the front of the cockpit, met their specifications for protecting the rider’s survival space and the control of the forces exerted on the rider during the impact. ”
In 2020, nineteen incidents were investigated and the result is a list of twenty-two areas for improvement. The lion’s share of those points are about the design of the cars, such as reviewing the design of the steering column, but also mainly about the regulations and the design of the fuel tank.
From the rider’s point of view, the fire-retardant gloves are being improved and it is also being investigated how the visor of the helmet can be improved in terms of visibility when exposed to fire.
According to Chairman Jean Todt, safety remains one of the FIA’s priorities.
“These studies have drawn important lessons that will support our ongoing mission to improve safety in Formula 1 and global motorsport. The continuous efforts of the FIA, especially the safety department, to mitigate the risks in motorsport allowed Romain Grosjean to stay conscious and survive an accident of this magnitude. Safety is and will remain the FIA’s top priority. ”
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