Bahrain Grand Prix 2020. Lights out and away they go. A Haas at the speed of 137 miles per hour hit the barrier. The VF-20 gets divided into two halves. One’s stranded on the trackside, while the other broke the metal barrier to go on the other. Suddenly, fire erupts to form a fireball and, after 28 seconds, comes out a man. Romain Grosjean crosses the barrier and saves himself before the Haas bursts into flames. The world watched the entire ordeal in horror. Cut to February 2023. The burned-out Haas from the crash is to go on display next month in Madrid, Spain as a part of the F1 exhibition. As the photos of the burned-out wreckage land on the internet, fans share their shocking reactions.
The remains of the chassis have been kept under wrap all these years. This will now be unveiled in the ticketed event in March in the capital city of Spain. The burned chassis will be kept in a room titled ‘survival’ dedicated to it, along with multiple unreleased footages of the crash for the attendees.
The burnt-out car Romain Grosjean miraculously escaped from is going on display for the first time as part of a new F1 Exhibition that's opening in Madrid.
The pictures serve as a reminder of just how lucky he was and that halo is one of the best inventions the sport has seen. pic.twitter.com/qEOEeHWD6f
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) February 21, 2023
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Romain Grosjean, the man who suffered the massive crash, opened up on it. As per Sky Sports F1, Grosjean told, “The chassis is still in one piece, the halo is there, and apart from the damage and burn it is still as it should be. I guess that saved my life.”
Fans react to the treacherous accident aftermath on social media
As soon as the pictures landed on social media, fans were quick to share their thoughts on it. Four photos showed the damaged chassis along with the halo. The halo has been massively instrumental in saving the life of Grosjean.
READ MORE: Phoenix Romain Grosjean Rues American Gaze on His F1 Career: “Bit More Than That”
Given below are some of the reactions taken from Twitter:
Wowwww watched this live and it still gives me chills everytime I see it https://t.co/8WzH9BuPpD
— Bitchskin (@JarrettBSdrums) February 21, 2023
My fat-ass would have been burnt to a crisp trying to get out of this cockpit
— BlackUpp (@Blackup_1) February 21, 2023
Whoa. Wild to see up close. Case closed on anyone arguing the benefits of the halo again! https://t.co/jkd6MWOHhJ
— Erik Beck (@erikrbeck) February 21, 2023
I remember watching this race on TV. I’m still so shocked that Romain survived. https://t.co/9FLoQLItra
— Hannah 🌹 🎬 🏎 (@BrainyNewSexySH) February 21, 2023
There was something miraculous about the footage of Grosjean emerging from the flames. I’m sure most of us assumed the worst.
But it was no miracle. It was the result of decades of work in the never-ending pursuit of safety. Amazing to be able to see that on display.#F1 https://t.co/a2pgYwoWz3
— Chris Stevens 🏁 (@ChrisOnRacing) February 21, 2023
Talking about the fireball crash at Sakhir, the Frenchman further stated, “From my point of view, it was a big accident but I didn’t realize the impact or how violent it was from the outside. It was only the next day when I asked someone to show me what it looked like that I realized.”
Shit like this makes me love f1 so much. The halo is a multiple time live saving advancement and the fact that romain is doing great in indycar after such a gruesome crash makes me love the amazing minds that go into making this sport possible https://t.co/wYJDOBW70L
— Davvy (@DavvyJonesLocke) February 21, 2023
Rewatching crashes from before 2018 feels so uncomfortable when you dont see the halo.
— Paul Faber (@RexPhilosophiae) February 21, 2023
Looks like Darth Vaders helmet… in all seriousness though it shows A) the risks the driver put themselves in every single race, and B) how safe the cars have become that Grosjean was able to “walk” away from it. pic.twitter.com/obmP2PW8Cs
— Luke (@FormuLukeOne) February 21, 2023
Incredible moment, when the odds where against Romain to survive. Miracle.
— LaurieMacLeod🇨🇦 (@Laurie052168) February 21, 2023
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This was scary to watch 🥹🥹🥹🥹
— Eddie Saroni (@S1rRonnie) February 21, 2023
The 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix was the last ever race for the French driver. So much so, he retired from the sport after the horrific incident. However, his motorsport career is still on track and he currently competes in the NTT IndyCar series in the United States of America for Andretti Autosport.
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