Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean got away miraculously well from his horrific crash at 2020’s Bahrain Grand Prix. Now that the analysis has been completed, though, the FIA feels there are areas for improvement.
In a video published by The Race, the remarkable details of the accidents and what they will mean for the future of sport are explored.
Perhaps the most impressive detail is that on impact Grosjean’s vehicle suffered an impact the equivalent of around 67 G. That’s as a result of hitting the guard rail at nearly 120 mph.
That’s the force that tore the drive unit off of the chassis and also ruptured the fuel cell, leading to the fireball that burned Grosjean’s hands.
As a result of the accident, the FIA is looking to improve drivers’ gloves heat resistance. The institution is also looking to investigate a number of areas ranging from track design to vehicle design.
Read More: Romain Grosjean Survives Horrific F1 Crash As His Haas Gets Torn In Half And Bursts Into Flames
The survival cell, which protects the driver in case of a crash, is having its geometry looked at. Among other areas, the FIA is interested in looking at the front of the structure, notable since Grosjean struggled to get his foot out of the cockpit and was forced to remove his (fire resistant) shoe to get out.
There are also less structural areas of interest, like the rear-view mirrors (Grosjean ran into a car in his blind spot) and the headrest assembly. The latter area is being investigated in order to make getting out of the cockpit easier in case of a collision.
Track design is also under review. The area that Grosjean crashed into wasn’t quite perpendicular to the track because it was an access point for marshals. The FIA is therefore looking into these barrier openings and the guidelines for circuit homologations.
These are just a few of the many areas that the FIA is looking into. It’s clear that, although Grosjean’s survival was the result of years of safety innovations that ought to be celebrated, he was also surrounded by dangers that could have easily made his escape much harder.
Fortunately, the French driver is back behind the wheel and will race in IndyCar this season.