29 November, 2020. It is a date which will forever be etched in the mind of Romain Grosjean, and the wider Formula 1 community.<\/p>\n
That was the date when his horrifying crash in Bahrain occurred. Grosjean, thankfully, and miraculously, escaped with only burns to his hands. Just over five years on, he held the crash helmet which he wore that day, his children playing a key role in this reunion.<\/p>\n
Romain Grosjean: \u2018We should make the most of our lives every day\u2019<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust<\/p>\n On the opening lap of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, Grosjean, on the straight out of Turn 3, clipped Daniil Kvyat\u2019s AlphaTauri. It sent Grosjean\u2019s Haas car into the barrier, the car splitting in two on impact, as the wreckage burst into flames with Grosjean inside.<\/p>\n In those moments of dread and fear for Grosjean\u2019s welfare, he soon emerged from the flames and was pulled to safety by medical personnel quickly on the scene.<\/p>\n Grosjean suffered second degree burns to his hands, though the outcome could have been far worse in such a terrifying incident.<\/p>\n He quickly praised the Halo cockpit device for protecting his head in the incident.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t for the Halo some years ago, but I think it\u2019s the greatest thing we brought to Formula 1. Without it, I wouldn\u2019t be able to speak to you today.\u201d<\/p>\n A little over five years later, Grosjean posted a picture on Instagram of him holding the helmet he was wearing in that crash.<\/p>\n In the accompanying text, he expressed further gratitude, this time to helmet manufacturer Bell Helmets, and safety equipment manufacturer Alpinestars.<\/p>\n More on Romain Grosjean from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n 28 seconds in hell: The story behind Romain Grosjean\u2019s 2020 Bahrain GP crash<\/a><\/p>\n Eight times the Halo became a saviour: Grosjean, Leclerc and more scary incidents remembered<\/a><\/p>\n \u201c5 years after November 29 2020, I got reunited with my race helmet,\u201d Grosjean began.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know if I was ready to see it, but my kids really wanted to understand how I got so well protected in the fire and what did happen that night.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll forever be grateful to @bellracinghq and @alpinestars for protecting me so well in that moment.<\/p>\n \u201cLife goes and we forget, but that reminds me how much we should make the most of our lives every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Grosjean signed off his post with #thephoenix, the moniker which he has carried with him since the crash, a reference to the phoenix, a mythical, immortal bird which rises from the ashes, reborn.<\/p>\n While Bahrain 2020 marked Grosjean\u2019s final grand prix start, he took part in his long-awaited F1 farewell run in a Haas private test at Mugello in September 2025.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n