The wet condition is an incubus for the F1 drivers. It can be quite scary out there on the track. Even our motorsport daredevils switch on their most cautious mode while chasing the chequered flag under rain. However, what measures are there to prevent drivers from hitting the barriers? None; technically, that’s not possible. So, time and again, we find the drivers dashing into the walls bringing out red flags. The 2024 Dutch GP is no exception. And unfortunately, Logan Sargeant was the one this time (again!).

We’ve already lost Jules Bianchi in 2015- it was at the Japanese GP and the racing conditions were terrible. That tragic incident led to stricter measures for rainy races. But since there are no parameters to control the drivers from hitting the barriers, Logan Sargeant had to relive the nightmares of Romain Grosjean from 2020. Luckily, both drivers have emerged safe and alive from their burning cars. But the fear had clearly gripped the grid, with people chanting silent prayers.

Logan Sargeant’s Zandvoort dreams may have come to an end as his FP3 meets a fiery end

On Friday, Nico Hulkenberg hit the barrier during FP2 and brought out the red flags. However, that accident wasn’t as severe as Sargeant’s. The American driver participating in the third and final practice session before the qualifiers had just set the fourth-fastest lap time at Zandvoort today. Everything seemed to go great, but it all ended quickly. Logan Sargeant dropped two wheels on the grass losing control and hitting the barriers on the exit of Turn 3 before bouncing back onto the circuit.

Had the situation been under control, Sargeant could’ve bounced back into the qualifiers with renewed confidence. However, this is not the case. The Williams driver quickly leaped out of the damaged car right after the crash as smoke began to engulf the rear of the stricken FW46. Soon flames began to lap up the squashed chassis. Passing drivers like George Russell slowed down to indicate that his peer had to escape from the burning car. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, and others seemed equally concerned.

Logan crash causing a Red Flag
byu/cristi93 informula1

Fire marshals were able to extinguish the flames and return the damaged car to the William pits. But the impact was huge, and it looks most unlikely for Sargeant to participate in the qualifiers later today. The accident was massive and the damage to the barriers was also huge. This led to lengthy repairs, costing drivers valuable practice time in tricky conditions. Logan Sargeant was immediately rushed to the medical center for a quick check-up, given the volume of the accident. Most importantly, he was cleared of injury.

This accident and the flames that began to engulf Sargeant’s car bring back the horrific memories of watching former F1 driver Romain Grosjean’s car burn before our eyes. The 2020 Bahrain GP will be etched in the history of Formula 1 as one of the greatest nightmares of all time.

Sargeant’s burning car brought flashbacks from Romain Grosjean’s appalling crash in 2020

Former wingman of Haas, Romain Grosjean was quite a name in the F1 paddock. But who knew he’d become one of the drivers in F1’s history to defy fire? The fateful 2020 Bahrain GP changed the trajectory of his career. Grosjean had started the race in Sakhir from P19. The race had hardly moved a few laps when the Frenchman moved across the track and touched with Daniil Kvyat’s AlphaTauri before spearing off the track and into the barrier just after Turn 3. Grosjean’s car was heavy with fuel and was badly damaged in the crash.

The impact of  67G! A force that was equivalent to 67 times his body weight. By comparison, heavy braking in an F1 car produces about 6 Gs. The dreadful, hungry flames licked the entire body of the car, from the chassis to the rear. Fire marshals, medical team, and rescue teams rushed to the accident spot- hoping to find the Haas driver breathing. Every driver waited in the pits, praying that Romain would emerge alive. Miracles do happen! Just moments later Grosjean leapt from the burning wreckage as the marshals and safety officials began putting the fire out. A short statement from the team said: “Romain has some minor burns on his hands and ankles but otherwise he is ok. He is with the doctors just now.”

A gap of four years and nothing much has changed. The same fear of flames is deeply instilled in the hearts and minds of the F1 daredevils. Both Logan Sargeant and Romain Grosjean were lucky enough to fight the odds. Williams faces trouble as their chassis suffers damage for the second time. As of now, looking at the conditions, Sargeant most likely won’t be there for the Qualifiers, but for the race tomorrow, who knows?