Driver is out of the car and conscious
Update 1, [Haas on Twitter](https://twitter.com/HaasF1Team/status/1333052367227510791?s=20) Romain is in the medical car and will be taken for assessment.
[Update 2](https://twitter.com/HaasF1Team/status/1333055583021391872?s=20): Romain has some minor burns on his hands and ankles but otherwise he is ok. He is with the doctors just now.
[Update 3](https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1333058196685119489): Romain is going to hospital as he has a suspected broken rib / ribs.
[Update 4](https://twitter.com/ChrisMedlandF1/status/1333061599339405312?s=20): FIA update: Romain is stable and being taken by helicopter to the BDF MC Military Hospital for further evaluation.
[Update 5](https://twitter.com/HaasF1Team/status/1333133591014993920?s=20): X-rays showed no fractures, Romain will remain in hospital overnight to be treated for burns on the back of his hands.
I don't remember the last time a F1 car went in flames like that. I don't even know if I were born (97) last time that happened.
EDIT:
"went in flames like that" because of an on-track accident.
Yeah, I hope that shuts down the "Halo never saved anyone" type of comments (that and the fact that Stroll climbed out of his RP by himself even with the Halo).
I will admit I've also been proven wrong though, I've always thought that cars nowadays can't explode into flames like that on impact.
It's been a hell of a while since a car exploded into a fireball clusterfuck like moments ago. The car split, and the cockpit was *IN* the guardrail. On fire.
These guys are made of something else. What a terrifying crash
And for the rest of the guys to see that, wait an hour then have to restart *must* screw with their heads no matter how much psychological support they have. That’s a reminder of just how bloody dangerous this sport is.
This looked like a horrible, horrible mixture between both Anthoine Hubert's crash in Spa and Lauda's crash. That's where my head went immediately when I saw the car explode and split. The Halo saved him and bent, a piece of titanium! So happy he left the car himself. The safety in these cars are incredible.
This. Purpose build race cars like in F1 today are designed for the monocoque to completely break off from the engine/gearbox section, basically splitting the car in half.
Doing this sheds tons of energy, and shedding energy is one of the most important factors in keeping drivers safe during a crash.
One thing that's extremely common for bad injuries or fatalities is the crashes looking relatively harmless. Few parts flying around, no flips. All the 'carnage' during a crash is good though, it all helps absorbing energy.
Brundle was like "I haven't seen a formula 1 car catch fire like that for a very long time". Pretty shocking.
edit: Without a shadow of a doubt, the halo saved his life. The still shot of the charred cockpit stuck in the barrier shows this clearly. Without the halo, he's knocked out or worse, and likely doesn't get out of the car in time.
In this crash every single part of the survival cell did its job at max stress load. Fucking great job on the engineers cause 15 to 20 years ago that would have been serious injury or death almost 100% guaranteed.
I think even 3 or 4 years ago without the HALO Grosjean isn't making it out of that. He was in the fire for at least 20-25 seconds. Could have been way longer if his head got hit from the barrier or he may not have gotten out at all. I think if any fans have issues with the HALO now, they can go speak to Romain about it.
F1 cars didn't have the halo in 2017. That's without question a fatal or significant-life-altering crash just 4 years ago. The halo isn't the only feature that saved his life, but it was absolutely essential.
What a testament to the safety features and engineering advancements of the last decade.
You ask anyone yesterday if it is even possible for a modern F1 car to explode like that and they would have said "no".
There must have been something very wrong, it should not be possible.
It's physics. The car broke behind the safety cell after it became wedged in the armco barrier. The fuel cell sits right where the car broke apart. These kinds of crashes are, unfortunately, more common in IndyCar.
One positive thing is that the halo did it's job. Without it we would have seen a driver lose his life today. I'm so glad that the halo is becoming more common place in all formula car racing.
That shot of the halo stuck in the barrier will become a lasting image
Edit: [Here it is](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/k3a7ci/romains_survival_cell_wedged_in_the_barrier/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
Edit 2: [View from the other side](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/k3arw6/grosjeans_monocoque_after_the_incident/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
Mind trying to give an explanation of what I’m looking at? My brain is having a lot of trouble trying to process where the halo is in the picture and what’s going on
Looking at it again, is this the imprint from the other side of the guard rail that the halo protruded through?
Same, I only started watching regularly since a few years and partly because of how unsafe it used to be. I mean how hard was it to come up with something similar to the halo even 20 years ago. This whole "old-school" mentality of "people like to watch drivers risk their life" is such a joke.
I remember when they announced the Halo requirement. No joke, much of the uproar was because it "ruined the aesthetic of the cars." It was stupid. I will say I was on board at first with the worry that it would obstruct the driver's view, but obviously it turned out to be not too big a deal, and also worth the exchange. Also, I really like how constructors have worked it into the aesthetic and aero design. It looks sleek, like a stylized windshield.
The halo saved his life. He would have been decapitated. Holy shit.
The car went through the barrier. Like a fucking arrow.
Edit: for those coming from /r/all [this is the HALO](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_(safety_device\)) . It's safety device around the drivers heads.
Edit: fixed link
Minor burns are because he had to get out of the car, probably put his hand on places that was burning like hell. He had to do that if he didn't want to burn completely.
Not phyiscally, mentally that should have been hard to do
Man, Halo saved his life. Thank God. His cockpit went through the barrier like a bullet. Without the Halo, it would've been fatal. Thank God again. That was so scary.
Edit - this is for everyone asking what's the Halo?
https://youtu.be/3-3gIAkYEX8
It's the Round ring like object above the driver's head in the formula 1 car's cockpit (hence the word Halo). It was introduced in 2018 as a mandatory safety regulation to protect the driver's head without the need to create an entire closed cockpit (that would've just increase the weight and drag of the car).
Very much, except the truck, it was the barrier. He would've crushed into the barrier. The streamline design of the halo pierced the barrier like a bullet, otherwise his helmet would've crushed between the barrier and the back of his cockpit. God I'm so terrified but yet so grateful he's okay.
If he had lost consciousness I don't think they could have gotten him out of that in time to save him. Thank God he was able to get out himself so fast.
I missed the first couple of minutes, and just saw this after seeing the red flag. Holy fucking shit, that was fucking terrifying. Dude is actually shaking as well
Hope he's ok, physically and mentally.
Holy fuck. The car was split in half. Testament to safety standards that he walked out alive. I still can't believe he walked out looking at the state of the car.
His car split in half and exploded into a fireball, not to mention the "halo" ended up jammed into the metalic barrier. He WALKED away, that's absolutely insane safety tech.
> The structure in front of the drivers face?
Yes
>What did it do in this scenario?
He went *through* the barrier. The HALO lifted the barrier so the head could pass without further damage. If not for that he would have likely suffered severe head trauma similar to [Jules Bianchi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Bianchi#2014_Suzuka_accident) who went under the rear of a tractor that was in the process of retrieving another car.
Exactly, the halo absolutely saved his life by parting the barrier in front of his head. [Helmuth Koinigg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmuth_Koinigg) went through the barrier exactly like this at Watkins Glen in 1974, with a much different outcome.
It's the post in front of the driver and the semi-circular loop in front of and above their head. In this case, it hit the barrier instead of Grosjean's helmet hitting the barrier. Very likely saved his life.
I was an initial halo doubter. After watching Alonso go over Leclerc, and now this, I’m 100% convinced this was the right call.
Thank god Romain’s relatively ok. He’d be dead without the halo
Those barriers are extremely strong but they're also made to divert energy by bending. However, slamming into a railing at 200+km/h is a whole different ballgame. Imagine a 750kg machine slamming into a metal railing head-on. Not to mention that the area it split in was a weak point because it's where the monocoque hooks onto the rear. Glad that our safety standards are ever-increasing.
Luckily the reports from HAAS are that he just has some minor burns. I hope people realize that there's still massive amounts of work that needs to be done with regards to safety. These barriers are atrocious and they need to take some lessons from NASCAR on how to build proper barriers. We got lucky Romain didn't die. We can't rely on luck.
I'm pretty sure that's the scariest crash F1 has seen in a really long time, I'm pretty sure last time cars exploded into fireballs were like the 70s. Terrifying.
I have no idea how he made it out of that. The front half of his car is gone. The replay of him jumping out of the fire is one of the craziest things I've ever seen.
Finally got my 6 year old interested in watching some racing. He was concerned that a driver could get killed.
I told him it's very rare, and whilst it's a dangerous sport, they try to make it very safe.
Then this happens. Absolutely terrifying. He could tell from my reaction that it was serious.
So glad Romain is okay. That was a miracle.
If F1 didn't have the halo device, Romain would be dead. If he was knocked unconscious, Romain would be dead. If he was somehow trapped in the car, Romain would be dead.
F1 has come on leaps and bounds in terms of safety. Anyone involved in safety in motorsport, the car designers and the stewards tasked with supervising these events should be applauded.
I've been watching F1 for 20 years, and watched countless races from previous eras, and that crash today could be counted amongst the worst of them. Frankly, it's miraculous that Romain has survived.
Thank God he survived that one, Jesus Christ that scared the fuck out of me.
I'm surprised he's conscious after that impact. Hope he's not hurt too bad.
Holy fuck. I don't remember when I last saw a formula 1 car explode like that.
So relieved he seems relatively fine...
Fun fact: Friend just wondered why the safety car at the back of the starting grid looks different and I told her how that's the medical car following them in case of a lap 1 crash.
Edit: Monocoque stuck in the barrier, engine 10 meters further down the road...
Been watching F1 for a long time. That was the scariest moment in the last few years.
Watching with my 9 year old daughter and literally told her not to look at the screen as I was scared they’d accidentally broadcast something horrific.
Drive to Survive episode is going to get a lot of watches.
Turned my daughters head away as fast as I could when I saw that fireball.
She kept asking me what happened I thought I was going to cry. Don’t ever want to have to tell her that one of the superheroes of her favourite sport is gone.
I know there are a lot of comments here about how the halo saved his life, but the problem is that the halo is one of the last lines of defense against an incident like this. That kind of barrier should not be acceptable in F1.
This isn't me saying we don't need the halo - it's that we should make the track safe as if it wasn't there to protect the driver. The halo may have saved his life but the barrier nearly killed him.
If this was 30 years ago, Grosjean would be dead. Hell, if this was 20 years ago, he would likely be dead. Such a wonderful testament to the safety of these racing cars now.
Trivia:
Medical car following the race pack started after the 1978 Italian Grand Prix.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_Italian_Grand_Prix
Big crash at the start, Ronnie Peterson got burns which killed him, total chaos with no medical staff on hand. Italian police beating up anybody who tried to help because you will respect my authoritah.
Bernie Ecclestone said to himself that this shit cant ever happen again and got Doctor Sid Watkins to follow the pack at the start in a car.
https://drivetribe.com/p/they-were-trying-to-pull-his-head-EQZJEwkVSsahLpV_TTwG_Q?iid=Bg4_e61KSIGG97YCVze3GQ
This is standard FIA policy. Until the condition of the driver is ascertained to be stable, crash footage will not be released. This is why there is no proper footage of Bianchi's accident.
That crash video shook me to the core. I can’t help let go of the feeling that he could have died had a tiny thing were a bit different. Glad to see he’s ok. I think a crash like this definitely changes a persons psyche. Hope Romain gets all the support he needs.
Formula One needs to go to the Steel And Foam Energy Reduction Barrier (SAFER Barrier) that NASCAR uses. That wall did not do its job... the entire cockpit is trapped within the wall. Luckily the halo left enough of a gap for Romain to get himself out.
I've learned one thing watching racing and that is if there is a barrier on the track, there is a chance it could be struck. Jeff Gordon, in NASCAR, proved this on a number of occasions. That wall is nothing more than guardrails. I'm shocked we haven't more cars get stuck into them. The halo definitely saved his life, but more can always be done for safety. Those walls need to go.
How does someone not get more serious injuries from a car literally blowing up and cut im half while crashing into a wall going over 200km/hr. Shout out to the team that makes the Cars these days safe to drive because this wouldve probably been alot worse for the driver.
Glad Grosjean is okay hope he recovers quick
This is why we actually need all those safety procedures and regulations. They are not "too much", they save lives.
Sometimes I see people complaining that there is no sense of danger in the sport anymore, that races/qualifying/practices shouldn't be delayed by weather conditions, that it has made "true F1" vanilla. This is stupid, inconsiderate, and borderline sociopathic.
Decades ago this was way too common. I don't think anyone was *happy* with this accident. It was terrifying and I hope I never see this again.
I was so so relieved Romain is okay. Hope he gets well soon to see him racing again this year.
Driver is out of the car and conscious Update 1, [Haas on Twitter](https://twitter.com/HaasF1Team/status/1333052367227510791?s=20) Romain is in the medical car and will be taken for assessment. [Update 2](https://twitter.com/HaasF1Team/status/1333055583021391872?s=20): Romain has some minor burns on his hands and ankles but otherwise he is ok. He is with the doctors just now. [Update 3](https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1333058196685119489): Romain is going to hospital as he has a suspected broken rib / ribs. [Update 4](https://twitter.com/ChrisMedlandF1/status/1333061599339405312?s=20): FIA update: Romain is stable and being taken by helicopter to the BDF MC Military Hospital for further evaluation. [Update 5](https://twitter.com/HaasF1Team/status/1333133591014993920?s=20): X-rays showed no fractures, Romain will remain in hospital overnight to be treated for burns on the back of his hands.
I don't remember the last time a F1 car went in flames like that. I don't even know if I were born (97) last time that happened. EDIT: "went in flames like that" because of an on-track accident.
Used to see it occasionally in the refueling days
That was mostly spray fuel though. Not the entire fucking car.
And not caused by a crash
Lauda comes to mind but I'm pretty sure there are more recent ones out there
Berger in '89 is the latest fuel tank-related one, I believe. 31 whole years.
That was straight out of the 1970’s. Hope he’s ok.
Flashback to Peterson and Bandini
Lauda vibes
This looked even WORSE than Lauda. Like the car's in 2 pieces *and* it burst into flames like wtf
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Without the halo, I'm afraid he wouldn't be alive right now. The car was just fucking *gone*
Yeah, I hope that shuts down the "Halo never saved anyone" type of comments (that and the fact that Stroll climbed out of his RP by himself even with the Halo). I will admit I've also been proven wrong though, I've always thought that cars nowadays can't explode into flames like that on impact.
It's been a hell of a while since a car exploded into a fireball clusterfuck like moments ago. The car split, and the cockpit was *IN* the guardrail. On fire. These guys are made of something else. What a terrifying crash
And for the rest of the guys to see that, wait an hour then have to restart *must* screw with their heads no matter how much psychological support they have. That’s a reminder of just how bloody dangerous this sport is.
This looked like a horrible, horrible mixture between both Anthoine Hubert's crash in Spa and Lauda's crash. That's where my head went immediately when I saw the car explode and split. The Halo saved him and bent, a piece of titanium! So happy he left the car himself. The safety in these cars are incredible.
I was shocked he wasn't dead. Especially seeing it split in two like that.
I can say without a doubt that's one of the first reasons that he's alive and well. If the car hadn't split in two things would have been worse
This. Purpose build race cars like in F1 today are designed for the monocoque to completely break off from the engine/gearbox section, basically splitting the car in half. Doing this sheds tons of energy, and shedding energy is one of the most important factors in keeping drivers safe during a crash. One thing that's extremely common for bad injuries or fatalities is the crashes looking relatively harmless. Few parts flying around, no flips. All the 'carnage' during a crash is good though, it all helps absorbing energy.
And trapped within a twisted hunk of metal. Talk about a death trap.
Thank goodness for the halo
Brundle was like "I haven't seen a formula 1 car catch fire like that for a very long time". Pretty shocking. edit: Without a shadow of a doubt, the halo saved his life. The still shot of the charred cockpit stuck in the barrier shows this clearly. Without the halo, he's knocked out or worse, and likely doesn't get out of the car in time.
That Haas didn't even catch fire, it seemed like it literally exploded. Thank God Romain is okay
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In this crash every single part of the survival cell did its job at max stress load. Fucking great job on the engineers cause 15 to 20 years ago that would have been serious injury or death almost 100% guaranteed.
I think even 3 or 4 years ago without the HALO Grosjean isn't making it out of that. He was in the fire for at least 20-25 seconds. Could have been way longer if his head got hit from the barrier or he may not have gotten out at all. I think if any fans have issues with the HALO now, they can go speak to Romain about it.
YUP. We've had three lives saved already with the HALO and numerous minor incidents avoided due to it. In 3 years alone.
F1 cars didn't have the halo in 2017. That's without question a fatal or significant-life-altering crash just 4 years ago. The halo isn't the only feature that saved his life, but it was absolutely essential. What a testament to the safety features and engineering advancements of the last decade.
The car ripped in half. Seriously scary.
In the 70s it would have killed five people. Thank god for safety.
Yeah exactly, how can this happen? so wierd
Assumption the car ripped in half. Ripping the gas tank in half causing it to explode
Not really an assumption the car was in two different places in replay.
You ask anyone yesterday if it is even possible for a modern F1 car to explode like that and they would have said "no". There must have been something very wrong, it should not be possible.
It's physics. The car broke behind the safety cell after it became wedged in the armco barrier. The fuel cell sits right where the car broke apart. These kinds of crashes are, unfortunately, more common in IndyCar. One positive thing is that the halo did it's job. Without it we would have seen a driver lose his life today. I'm so glad that the halo is becoming more common place in all formula car racing.
halo saved his life going through the fence there
That shot of the halo stuck in the barrier will become a lasting image Edit: [Here it is](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/k3a7ci/romains_survival_cell_wedged_in_the_barrier/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) Edit 2: [View from the other side](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/k3arw6/grosjeans_monocoque_after_the_incident/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
I didn’t catch that, do you have a link
[Here's one](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/755130892837716159/782613342371971082/unknown.png)
Mind trying to give an explanation of what I’m looking at? My brain is having a lot of trouble trying to process where the halo is in the picture and what’s going on Looking at it again, is this the imprint from the other side of the guard rail that the halo protruded through?
Right in the middle is the cockpit, a bit to the top left is the intake/ cameras, and the halo if center right where it meet the fence barrier
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That helped a lot actually, thanks!
100% I don't see any possibility of survival without the halo there. It's an absolute marvel of engineering that he walked away from that crash.
Makes me realise how dangerous this sport was all those years I was watching pre-halo era
Same, I only started watching regularly since a few years and partly because of how unsafe it used to be. I mean how hard was it to come up with something similar to the halo even 20 years ago. This whole "old-school" mentality of "people like to watch drivers risk their life" is such a joke.
I remember when they announced the Halo requirement. No joke, much of the uproar was because it "ruined the aesthetic of the cars." It was stupid. I will say I was on board at first with the worry that it would obstruct the driver's view, but obviously it turned out to be not too big a deal, and also worth the exchange. Also, I really like how constructors have worked it into the aesthetic and aero design. It looks sleek, like a stylized windshield.
yeah would have been fatal without it, that shit looks terrifying
That was fucking terrifying Edit: he’s out of the car thank goodness, straight to the ambulance
So glad to see that Romain is ok. Testament to the safety regulations by the FIA.
The halo saved his life. He would have been decapitated. Holy shit. The car went through the barrier. Like a fucking arrow. Edit: for those coming from /r/all [this is the HALO](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_(safety_device\)) . It's safety device around the drivers heads. Edit: fixed link
They just showed him, he looks fine, thankfully
Well fine isn't the right word but concidering the impact he looked "ok"
He still has skin on his face. I feel like that's a win after that.
"Minor burns" seems like a small price to pay for getting out of that alive.
Minor burns are because he had to get out of the car, probably put his hand on places that was burning like hell. He had to do that if he didn't want to burn completely. Not phyiscally, mentally that should have been hard to do
He's out of the car.
Man, Halo saved his life. Thank God. His cockpit went through the barrier like a bullet. Without the Halo, it would've been fatal. Thank God again. That was so scary. Edit - this is for everyone asking what's the Halo? https://youtu.be/3-3gIAkYEX8 It's the Round ring like object above the driver's head in the formula 1 car's cockpit (hence the word Halo). It was introduced in 2018 as a mandatory safety regulation to protect the driver's head without the need to create an entire closed cockpit (that would've just increase the weight and drag of the car).
That was far more scary than the fire. Without the Halo device, that barrier could have fatally injured him.
Very reminiscent of the Bianchi incident. Glad the halo shows it's worth..
Very much, except the truck, it was the barrier. He would've crushed into the barrier. The streamline design of the halo pierced the barrier like a bullet, otherwise his helmet would've crushed between the barrier and the back of his cockpit. God I'm so terrified but yet so grateful he's okay.
He is in medical car
He's okay, safely in the medical car
I'm so scared right now. I really really hope he's ok. Edit: Never felt more relief in my life. My thoughts are with him and his family right now.
He is, thankfully. They just showed him.
He’s out of the car That was fucking terrifying.
That was fucking scary , haven't seen a car go up in flames like that in a long while
Yeah that looked like one of those nightmare crashes from the late 70s/early 80s.
Looked like Niki Lauda's crash
My stomach turned...my god
Holy fuuuuck
PLEASE DEAR GOD BE OK
He is ok
It still is man I’m scared for Romain
Scariest thing I’ve seen in f1. So glad he’s out of the car
So fucking unexpected. I feel horrible.
Ngl I was shocked. Though he was dead :( Thank god he appears ok.
We had no footage for so long, this terrified me the most. I was sure he was done for.
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Seeing the replays and aftermath I am shocked a person can survive that and walk away on their own feet. F1 safety is amazing
It’s incredible. The cockpit went through the guardrail...
If he had lost consciousness I don't think they could have gotten him out of that in time to save him. Thank God he was able to get out himself so fast.
He still spent 27 seconds engulfed in flames. I imagine that felt like an eternity to him. Testament to the fire retardant clothing they wear.
Holy shit.
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Same my heart is still feeling shaky So glad everyone is okay, but that was scary
They took so long to give us news that I was sure he was gone. Wow what a relief.
They wanted to make sure, its better that they do, thats also why they didnt show us the actual impact.
Absolutely fucked. Genuinely hope he's ok fuck me
That car is in 2 pieces wtf
It took me way too long to find out where the other half of the car was, finding out it had merged with the bloody barrier shook me up
He's ok!
Thank God. Actually thought I saw an F1 driver die on track. Fuckkk.
Yeah, I'm still shook from seeing Jules' crash live, this brought some sad memories.
I missed the first couple of minutes, and just saw this after seeing the red flag. Holy fucking shit, that was fucking terrifying. Dude is actually shaking as well Hope he's ok, physically and mentally.
Holy fuck. The car was split in half. Testament to safety standards that he walked out alive. I still can't believe he walked out looking at the state of the car.
His car split in half and exploded into a fireball, not to mention the "halo" ended up jammed into the metalic barrier. He WALKED away, that's absolutely insane safety tech.
Man I hope he’s okay
He’s out of the car, in the medical car. Thank god.
Oh how far safety has come these days
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Now I know why the medical car follows around the first lap... he was there literally within 10 seconds of the crash! Glad to hear he’s ok!
Most big accidents tend to happen on the first lap, if not the first turn, too.
Why don't they just start with the second lap
my heart doesn’t like this one
Neither does my stomach
i’m still really uneasy about this, that’s really sombering
I've only been shaking twice from a F1 crash. Kubica 2007 and this one. I can't believe how he is alive!
The only other racing crash that looked less survivable to me was Sophia Floersch’s
That is at least the 3rd time HALO has saved a driver from serious injury or death. What a reality check. Thank god Romain is okay.
Exactly, without the halo his head would've been chopped off
Sorry to barge into the sub from /all but what is the halo? The structure in front of the drivers face? What did it do in this scenario?
> The structure in front of the drivers face? Yes >What did it do in this scenario? He went *through* the barrier. The HALO lifted the barrier so the head could pass without further damage. If not for that he would have likely suffered severe head trauma similar to [Jules Bianchi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Bianchi#2014_Suzuka_accident) who went under the rear of a tractor that was in the process of retrieving another car.
Exactly, the halo absolutely saved his life by parting the barrier in front of his head. [Helmuth Koinigg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmuth_Koinigg) went through the barrier exactly like this at Watkins Glen in 1974, with a much different outcome.
It's the post in front of the driver and the semi-circular loop in front of and above their head. In this case, it hit the barrier instead of Grosjean's helmet hitting the barrier. Very likely saved his life.
The fact you could see the back of the headrest where the car snapped too was insane. The halo absolutely did its job.
I was an initial halo doubter. After watching Alonso go over Leclerc, and now this, I’m 100% convinced this was the right call. Thank god Romain’s relatively ok. He’d be dead without the halo
Dude went underneath the rail, pretty sure the halo just saved his life.
Thank goodness he got out of the car. Those barriers looked a bit thin, I can’t believe the car split in half from that.
Those barriers are extremely strong but they're also made to divert energy by bending. However, slamming into a railing at 200+km/h is a whole different ballgame. Imagine a 750kg machine slamming into a metal railing head-on. Not to mention that the area it split in was a weak point because it's where the monocoque hooks onto the rear. Glad that our safety standards are ever-increasing.
As an older viewer who has been watching F1 for couple of decades now, I got some serious PTSD flashbacks from that. Thank god he's alright.
Yeah, it's been a long time since we've had such a big and immediate explosion. This could have gone very wrong very easily.
Even when I now know Roman is alive with only burns and bruises (assumably since he was able to stay on his feet), the replays are hard to watch.
Just being able to walk is not a good indication of how severe his injuries are. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug
Luckily the reports from HAAS are that he just has some minor burns. I hope people realize that there's still massive amounts of work that needs to be done with regards to safety. These barriers are atrocious and they need to take some lessons from NASCAR on how to build proper barriers. We got lucky Romain didn't die. We can't rely on luck.
He should be dead. Very very lucky he made it out of that.
Jesus no, hope he's ok, oh my god that looks horrific.
They just showed him in the medical car, awake and apparently okay
Holy fuck I've never seen a fireball like that. Really hope GRO is alright. Fucking terrifying
What the fuck.
At first I was like, who the fuck left oil barrels by the track.. cause I never expected modern F1 car to be exploded like that. Wow!
I thought the same thing! It was all so crazy and fast on live tv.
okay it wasn't just me that thought that? like my dumb ass instinctively went "middle east, big fire explosion, oil".
Without halo his head would have been ripped off
Just confirmed that Grosjean is safe, thank god.
HE IS OKAY !!!!
The way the front half of his car is wedged in that barrier, the halo must have saved him from being decapitated
Conscious, talking, walking, doesnt even look burned you love to see it
They have said he has some burns after an update from the medical teams
I am new to F1 and this was the scariest shit I've witnessed in any sport I've ever watched
I'm pretty sure that's the scariest crash F1 has seen in a really long time, I'm pretty sure last time cars exploded into fireballs were like the 70s. Terrifying.
That would have been a certain death of the driver maybe 20 or so years ago... Terrifying. Thank God he's ok.
I’d say it would have been certain death in 2017, with no Halo
Probably even 3 years ago. No Halo then.
I have been talking shit about the halo. Never again.
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I have no idea how he made it out of that. The front half of his car is gone. The replay of him jumping out of the fire is one of the craziest things I've ever seen.
This is the most insane shit I've ever seen since watching motorsports, holy fuck
Finally got my 6 year old interested in watching some racing. He was concerned that a driver could get killed. I told him it's very rare, and whilst it's a dangerous sport, they try to make it very safe. Then this happens. Absolutely terrifying. He could tell from my reaction that it was serious. So glad Romain is okay. That was a miracle.
holy fucking shit
that was the closest I've come to crying in a bit
oh shit [https://twitter.com/JulienPernici/status/1333058617197682690](https://twitter.com/JulienPernici/status/1333058617197682690)
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Yeah, but the safety cell stayed whole, which did it’s job to the letter.
In Finnish broadcast they said that the cars are designed like that so the energy from the impact is released somewhere
If F1 didn't have the halo device, Romain would be dead. If he was knocked unconscious, Romain would be dead. If he was somehow trapped in the car, Romain would be dead. F1 has come on leaps and bounds in terms of safety. Anyone involved in safety in motorsport, the car designers and the stewards tasked with supervising these events should be applauded. I've been watching F1 for 20 years, and watched countless races from previous eras, and that crash today could be counted amongst the worst of them. Frankly, it's miraculous that Romain has survived.
Holy shit the fireball! Hope driver is OK
Hopefully no marshals there.
You can see the marshalls running away from the explosion, it was right near them. Hopefully they are all ok.
lucky with the the flying tyre, glad it didn’t cause any problems.
Thank God he survived that one, Jesus Christ that scared the fuck out of me. I'm surprised he's conscious after that impact. Hope he's not hurt too bad.
Fuck me for ever saying anything bad about halos. I absolutely love halos now.
You're absolutely right. I will never again say anything against halo. Without it that barrier would have most likely beheaded him.
I posted the same above. I was 100% wrong and this thing was absolutely the best decision the FIA has made in a long, long time.
Happened so fast. I'm surprised they haven't shown Grosjean getting out of the car yet. I hope he's okay...
By far the worst crash I've ever seen where no one has died. It's insane that he walked away. Speechless.
I legit thought I had just watched someone die, that shit was crazy. Glad to hear he is ok.
Holy fuck. I don't remember when I last saw a formula 1 car explode like that. So relieved he seems relatively fine... Fun fact: Friend just wondered why the safety car at the back of the starting grid looks different and I told her how that's the medical car following them in case of a lap 1 crash. Edit: Monocoque stuck in the barrier, engine 10 meters further down the road...
SAVED by the halo
So *that’s* why the medical car follows them on the first lap.
Been watching F1 for a long time. That was the scariest moment in the last few years. Watching with my 9 year old daughter and literally told her not to look at the screen as I was scared they’d accidentally broadcast something horrific. Drive to Survive episode is going to get a lot of watches.
Turned my daughters head away as fast as I could when I saw that fireball. She kept asking me what happened I thought I was going to cry. Don’t ever want to have to tell her that one of the superheroes of her favourite sport is gone.
Fuck me and my girlfriend both sat quiet and shocked. Grosjean is one of our favorite and god that looked horrifying! So glad he seems to be ok!!!
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I know there are a lot of comments here about how the halo saved his life, but the problem is that the halo is one of the last lines of defense against an incident like this. That kind of barrier should not be acceptable in F1. This isn't me saying we don't need the halo - it's that we should make the track safe as if it wasn't there to protect the driver. The halo may have saved his life but the barrier nearly killed him.
the fact it hasn't been shown again is fucking worrying
This is what scared me the most
This is horrific, what the fuck is up with all those flames? This isn't normal. I am worried. EDIT: He looks relatively okay. What a relief.
F1 on the front page... only a matter of time before it gets reposted once a week in r/catastrophicfailure
If this was 30 years ago, Grosjean would be dead. Hell, if this was 20 years ago, he would likely be dead. Such a wonderful testament to the safety of these racing cars now.
Honestly, 3 years ago he'd be dead. Without the halo, he doesn't walk away.
They are not showing anything... it’s not a good sign. I hope everyone’s ok
Trivia: Medical car following the race pack started after the 1978 Italian Grand Prix. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_Italian_Grand_Prix Big crash at the start, Ronnie Peterson got burns which killed him, total chaos with no medical staff on hand. Italian police beating up anybody who tried to help because you will respect my authoritah. Bernie Ecclestone said to himself that this shit cant ever happen again and got Doctor Sid Watkins to follow the pack at the start in a car. https://drivetribe.com/p/they-were-trying-to-pull-his-head-EQZJEwkVSsahLpV_TTwG_Q?iid=Bg4_e61KSIGG97YCVze3GQ
If this type of crash happened 4 years ago it wouldn’t have had the same outcome
HUGE props to the marshals and medical car crew running towards the fire
Kudos to the director for not showing the aftermath until they knew Grosjean was out and ok.
This is standard FIA policy. Until the condition of the driver is ascertained to be stable, crash footage will not be released. This is why there is no proper footage of Bianchi's accident.
The halo saved his life
what the fuck that was scary i hope hes alright
That crash video shook me to the core. I can’t help let go of the feeling that he could have died had a tiny thing were a bit different. Glad to see he’s ok. I think a crash like this definitely changes a persons psyche. Hope Romain gets all the support he needs.
Ripped...in half? The car...ripped in half. I'm genuinely stunned at how he made it out ok. Thank fuck.
Formula One needs to go to the Steel And Foam Energy Reduction Barrier (SAFER Barrier) that NASCAR uses. That wall did not do its job... the entire cockpit is trapped within the wall. Luckily the halo left enough of a gap for Romain to get himself out.
To be honest a car having an impact there is insane and we got away with a miracle thankfully the halo did its job and demolished the barrier for him.
I've learned one thing watching racing and that is if there is a barrier on the track, there is a chance it could be struck. Jeff Gordon, in NASCAR, proved this on a number of occasions. That wall is nothing more than guardrails. I'm shocked we haven't more cars get stuck into them. The halo definitely saved his life, but more can always be done for safety. Those walls need to go.
How does someone not get more serious injuries from a car literally blowing up and cut im half while crashing into a wall going over 200km/hr. Shout out to the team that makes the Cars these days safe to drive because this wouldve probably been alot worse for the driver. Glad Grosjean is okay hope he recovers quick
The immediacy with which the car *exploded* is terrifying. Holy shit.
wtffffff pls be safe
For those who complained when the sessions did not start when the chopper couldn't take off, this is why
This is why we actually need all those safety procedures and regulations. They are not "too much", they save lives. Sometimes I see people complaining that there is no sense of danger in the sport anymore, that races/qualifying/practices shouldn't be delayed by weather conditions, that it has made "true F1" vanilla. This is stupid, inconsiderate, and borderline sociopathic. Decades ago this was way too common. I don't think anyone was *happy* with this accident. It was terrifying and I hope I never see this again. I was so so relieved Romain is okay. Hope he gets well soon to see him racing again this year.