an extraordinary interview with Martin Brundle<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cIt stops. I open my eyes. I undo the seat belt. The steering wheel is gone and I want to jump out,\u201d said the then 34-year-old.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hit something on top of my helmet \u2014 I feel I hit something \u2014 so I sit back down and I say, \u2018I must be upside down against the barrier, so I will wait that they come and help me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sit back down and look on the right and I look on the left and then I say, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s all orange. That\u2019s strange\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201c[I thought] a few things. Is it sunset? No, it\u2019s not sunset. Is it the light from the circuit? No.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe [visor] tear-offs start to melt. \u2018Oh, it\u2019s fire. Okay, no, I don\u2019t have time for them to come\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis time I try to go up a bit more to the right. It doesn\u2019t work. I go back down and try a bit more to the left. It doesn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sit back down and then there\u2019s a bit of swearing going on. I said, \u2018No, I can\u2019t finish like this\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI try again. I\u2019m stuck. And then comes the part \u2026 that is the most scary one. I sit back down. All my muscles relax. I\u2019m at peace with myself thinking I\u2019m dead; I will die.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I thought, \u2018Which part is going to burn first; is it the foot, is it the hands? Is it going to be painful?\u2019 <\/p>\n
\u201cA very, very strange feeling. I think sometimes when we are close to death we\u2019re a bit scared; this time death for me was here.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if that moment allowed me to recover a bit, get my brain, try to find another solution. I thought about my kids and I said, \u2018No, I cannot die today. For my kids I cannot die. I\u2019ve got to see them\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I had the idea to twist my head like this, go up and turn my body, and it worked, but then my foot is stuck on the pedal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got to go back down in the car, pull as hard as I can on my on my left leg. The shoe stayed where my foot was and my foot came out.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I did it again, and I went through and the shoulder went through, and at the time I knew the shoulder had passed the halo part I was going to live.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have got two of my hands in the fire on the halo. I can see my gloves \u2014 they\u2019re red normally; they start going full black and I can feel the pain and the burn, but I\u2019m going up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I jump on the barrier and then I feel Ian [Roberts, FIA chief medical officer] pull on my overall.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is an extraordinary feeling when he pulls me \u2014 I\u2019m like, \u2018There\u2019s someone with me. I\u2019m alive\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
The entire sequence, from crash to escape, lasted 27 seconds.<\/p>\n
Grosjean was taken to hospital, where he received treatment for burns to the back of both his hands. He was discharged three days later without further injury.<\/p>\n
(Photo by Peter Fox\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u2018YOU TAKE IT FOR GRANTED\u2019<\/p>\n
It was a crash that shook Formula 1 to its core. Leaps forward in safety over decades had brought the sport to a place in which fatalities were extremely rare. Fire in particular, once one of racing\u2019s biggest killers, had practically been eradicated as a threat.<\/p>\n
The 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix burst that bubble.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just goes to show that these drivers are putting themselves in high-risk situations,\u201d Keedle says. \u201cNo matter how safe the cars are these days you can still have a horrific accident.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven when you\u2019re at the track you take it for granted because you can have a crash and nine times out of 10 the driver will get up and walk out and they\u2019re completely fine.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery now and then there\u2019s a crash that reminds you that these cars are moving at fast speeds and can have really big impacts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was obviously a huge relief once you realised that he was out of the car and safe. Once I saw him and realised that he was talking and all these sorts of things, it was a big relief.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was a testament to Formula 1\u2019s advances in safety that Grosjean was able to walk away from his crash.<\/p>\n
Several different elements of the F1 driver protection regime had to come together to save his life.<\/p>\n
The first was the survival cell, which admirably lived up to its name.<\/p>\n
Also known as the chassis or monocoque, the survival cell is the fundamental part of the car. Essentially a tub made from layers of carbon fibre and Kevlar, it\u2019s the part around which the entire car is built, and it must withstand immense forces to be certified to race.<\/p>\n
Every car undergoes crash testing before each season; the strength of the monocoque is what dictates a pass mark.<\/p>\n
Grosjean\u2019s car ended up in two parts, but the survival cell remained intact; it was the rear of the car \u2014 essentially the power unit and gearbox \u2014 that detached from the chassis.<\/p>\n
The halo also proved its worth. Still controversial at the time, largely for reasons of aesthetics, following its 2018 introduction, there\u2019s no doubt it protected Grosjean\u2019s head from making direct impact with the barrier. The three-point structure instead opened a gap through the fence, which ensured that the Frenchman survived the crash and that he had an escape route from the flames.<\/p>\n
Then there was Grosjean\u2019s attire. His flameproof clothes clearly stood up to a most extreme test, exceeding their specifications.<\/p>\n
But less praised is the HANS \u2014 head and neck support \u2014 device strapped to Grosjean\u2019s helmet and wrapped around his neck.<\/p>\n
Introduced in the late 1990s and made compulsory in 2003, the HANS device prevents whiplash, which in its most extreme form causes the base of the skull to fracture \u2014 a common cause of death in the days before its implementation.<\/p>\n
The HANS device is one of the reasons drivers walks away from massive g-force crashes today.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s to the sport\u2019s credit that it didn\u2019t rest on the laurels of Grosjean\u2019s survival.<\/p>\n
The FIA\u2019s investigation into the crash made 22 recommendations and highlighted a further four areas for research, which have led to multiple minor and major regulation changes.<\/p>\n
These recommendations included reviews into the pedal box assembly, where Grosjean\u2019s shoes got caught; the design of the headrest, the deformity of which made it difficult for Grosjean to extricate himself; and the design of the fuel bladder and its connections to prevent fuel fires.<\/p>\n
The specification for fireproof clothing has also been updated to buy drivers extra seconds should they find themselves in Grosjean\u2019s situation.<\/p>\n
(Photo by TOLGA BOZOGLU \/ POOL \/ AFP)Source: AFP<\/p>\n
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY<\/p>\n
The forensic investigation took months to complete.<\/p>\n
Grosjean, a 10-time podium-getter, wanted to return to racing in less than a fortnight.<\/p>\n
His recovery was quick, but his hands needed time. When he returned to the paddock six days later, both hands were still heavily bandaged as the skin healed. He would later need skin grafts on his left hand.<\/p>\n
It was a blow to the Frenchman, who already knew 2020 would be his final campaign in Formula 1. Haas, in a financially dire position thanks to the pandemic, was plumping for youth \u2014 controversial pay driver Nikita Mazepin and the high-profile Mick Schumacher.<\/p>\n
Instead of planning his swan song before taking the plunge into IndyCar, Grosjean was instead stuck planning just how to get home while undertaking rehabilitation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was in the hospital with him for most of the week trying to figure out how he was going to get back to Switzerland,\u201d Keedle says.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a very unfortunate circumstance, a pretty horrific crash, but going through that with him and being there with his family gave us a bond even closer together, in a strange way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grosjean told Fox Sports having a close support circle was integral not just to his recovery but to life as a racing driver.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very, very important to have the right people alongside you,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a very demanding sport where very often you may feel alone, and having someone on your side that you trust, that you know is here for you, has your best interests at heart, makes it very important.\u201d<\/p>\n
He had another weapon in his armoury to hasten his recovery.<\/p>\n
Grosjean was unusual in F1 during his career in being open about using a sports psychologist.<\/p>\n
Racing drivers have traditionally seen themselves as competing in a fundamentally gladiatorial sport in which it was to some extent taboo to talk about the psychological elements of performance.<\/p>\n
Even today, for example, drivers are sometimes criticised for talking openly about the pressure of competition. Some, especially among previous generations, see it as a weakness.<\/p>\n
But Grosjean has never resiled from his ongoing use of a psychologist not just to move on from difficult moments but to improve himself even at the peak of his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is very, very valuable,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd yes, I think in recovering from the accident, it helped knowing my psychologist and having worked so long together. It definitely helped a lot to get back into form.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe only spent a couple of sessions on it, and then we were back on track to recover and go to IndyCar. Through my career for sure it helped a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Keedle, who in his role as performance manager bridges the gap between physiotherapist, personal trainer, mentor and confidant, said understanding the mental side of success and failure was crucial to performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cMindfulness, sports psychology, is so important for athletes,\u201d he says. \u201cRomain was working with that sports psychologist prior to me starting with him \u2014 it was always something that Romain was trying to work on.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was certainly helpful for him to deal with a horrific crash and help himself move on with that not only in his professional career but in his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019ll tell you that one of the best things for him to do was to get back in an IndyCar and start driving again.\u201d<\/p>\n
(Photo by Bryn Lennon\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u2018EVERYTHING IS PROCESSED\u2019<\/p>\n
Grosjean moved his family to the United States to pursue a career in IndyCar and American sports car racing, leaving his horrifying crash and miraculous recovery as the final chapter of his Formula 1 career until Haas offered him a test in Mugello earlier this year, giving him an opportunity to close the book on his terms as well as wear a helmet designed by his children for what would have been his final race in 2020.<\/p>\n
While the only scars are on his hands, he admitted in the years afterwards that he went through a period of having flashbacks about his crash, and he said late last year that he didn\u2019t think he was ready to confront the charred remains of his Haas car.<\/p>\n
He is, however, slowly accumulating artefacts from the historic day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am in the process of bringing the helmet from the crash back home,\u201d he says. \u201cFive years later, my kids want to see it. I think it\u2019s something that has a very special place in our heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that means everything is processed. The crash is behind me.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course people always talk about it \u2014 it was a big event \u2014 but I don\u2019t mind talking about it. I\u2019m just happy that I made it out and that it changed safety in motorsport and that I\u2019m all good after it.\u201d<\/p>\n
There is one central item to the story that had, until recently, alluded him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still speak to Romain quite a lot,\u201d Keedle says. \u201cHe knows that the F1 Exhibition is in Melbourne \u2014 and his gloves are here on display.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been looking for them for the last four years. I texted him last week saying, \u2018Mate, your gloves are at the F1 Exhibition\u2019 and he couldn\u2019t believe it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve seen them since Bahrain. It brought back the feelings a little bit to see them in real life. It\u2019s impressive that they\u2019re here and it\u2019s cool that the general fans and the public that are going to come to this exhibition can see that.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just the gloves that the Melbourne leg of the F1 Exhibition have unearthed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also looked at a picture of the steering wheel,\u201d Grosjean says. \u201cIt\u2019s funny to realise that all the switches were exactly as I left them. None of them have been touched.\u201d<\/p>\n
These remarkable relics form a moving display of an unforgettable day in Formula 1 history \u2014 the day, five years ago today, that Romain Grosjean faced death and miraculous lived to tell the tale.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cAre you okay?\u201d Five years ago today, Dominic Haines was watching Romain Grosjean\u2019s telemetry feed when it suddenly…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":315130,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[573],"tags":[2620,2095,178092,1724,64,63,689,178125,120814,178115,178099,178107,178121,178122,178105,178104,178091,178118,16177,178128,2057,178119,178110,178093,178113,817,178114,178098,178108,178096,16236,178097,813,816,178101,178106,178127,178095,2105,178123,178124,1737,2623,22298,178103,825,647,178109,2627,178112,2041,2067,677,16228,178116,155948,90128,2119,9207,16260,31307,16217,178100,16193,178126,85,178120,118600,131073,178094,114481,6221,178111,21760,178117,178102,2614,660,12000,2062],"class_list":["post-315129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-agence-france-presse","tag-america","tag-american-sports-car","tag-asia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-australian-performance","tag-bryn-lennon","tag-carbon-fibre","tag-central-item","tag-close-support-circle","tag-conscious-despite","tag-controversial-pay-driver","tag-crazy-feeling","tag-data-stream","tag-dominic-haines","tag-driver-protection-regime","tag-drivers-title","tag-escape-route","tag-europe","tag-extraordinary-feeling","tag-extraordinary-interview","tag-extreme-form","tag-extreme-test","tag-f1","tag-faced-death","tag-factory-floor","tag-final-campaign","tag-final-chapter","tag-final-race","tag-fireball-crash","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-fuel-bladder","tag-fuel-burns","tag-fuel-fires","tag-fundamental-part","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-horrific-crash","tag-immense-forces","tag-lando-norris","tag-las-vegas","tag-martin-brundle","tag-massive-g-force-crashes","tag-max-verstappen","tag-melbourne","tag-multiple-minor","tag-nevada","tag-nikita-mazepin","tag-north-america","tag-northern-america","tag-oceania","tag-pass-mark","tag-pedal-box-assembly","tag-performance-manager","tag-peter-fox","tag-pit-talk","tag-professional-career","tag-qatar","tag-race-engineer","tag-real-life","tag-reasons-drivers-walks","tag-regulation-changes","tag-seat-belt","tag-sports","tag-sports-car-racing","tag-sports-psychologist","tag-steering-wheel","tag-survival-cell","tag-swan-song","tag-switzerland","tag-time-death","tag-title-fight","tag-undertaking-rehabilitation","tag-unfortunate-circumstance","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-victoria","tag-western-asia","tag-western-europe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=315129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315129\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/315130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=315129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=315129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=315129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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