[Official] Bahrain Grand Prix 2020: Grand Prix Weekend Thread - Round 15 of 17

[Adam43]

Full send!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Greem

Yes, but he did punch a hole in it, which was the point I was addressing.

A hole like this?

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Need to get a move on before it gets dark tbf.

[bella]

anyone playing the jack nicholls "send it" drinking game and still conscious?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Could be, but how can you tell?

When the medical car arrived, there was black smoke rising from the flames. This is a sign of carbon being part of the fuel source for the fire.
However, the reaction from the extinguishers showed a change from black to white/grey. This is a sign that the carbon-based source of fuel to the fire was being hindered. The particles of white/grey will be a hydrocarbon mix.

At this point, you can still see the flames and heat source remaining. An indication that something other than carbon is also contributing to the fire. The whiteness of the core of the flames could suggest a heat higher than would be typical of a petroleum-fuelled fire.

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by bella

anyone playing the jack nicholls "send it" drinking game and still conscious?

It is the new 'smash it' it would seem.

[Adam43]

Poor Perez.

[tux]

This race has been absolutely dreadful. Genuinely fell asleep for a few minutes through the middle part BUT none of that matters today. The only thing that matters today is that Grosjean survived a truly abysmal accident. The accident had all of the things that you don't want in any accident. A sudden stop, barrier penetration, fire. Just remarkable the amount of damage and remarkable that he survived.

[bjohnsonsmith]

That was unfortunate. FCY and it looks like the race will end under caution.

[bella]

pleased for albon.

that's a really really crappy seat alongside verstappen, and there's no way perez would come out of it with his reputation and sanity intact, not after how he handled having ocon as a teammate.

[Knowlesy]

Yeah that was a really solid drive from Albon. Got to be happy with that.

Agree Perez would be a poor fit.

[chillibowl]

Wondering if this will have been Grosjean's last f1 drive?

Ups and downs, close calls, and 10 podiums...he lived his dream.

[Knowlesy]

It probably was his last race.

In many ways an appropriate way to bow out (we can joke about it now I guess).

[Akrapovic]

I agree with the theory that the batteries were part of the Grosjean fire. They are located right behind the drivers seat and most likely bolted to the floor at back of the chassis. You can see much of the fire react to the extinguisher, but not the seat of it. There's absolutely no doubt the halo saved Grosjeans life there. I've always maintained the Halo still needs further work to protect a driver from debris (see: Massa), but my god it stood up to the test today.

Presuming the footage does exist, and if Grosjean gives blessing, I'd release that footage to demonstrate the halo, and that F1 is still dangerous, and that the journey to safer cars does not stop now.

I'd also suggest that the Perez fire was batteries. Smoke was coming out of the cockpit and fire was right up with the airbox. That wasn't an old fashioned ICE failure.

That did seem to be a race of amateur moves really. As much as I don't want to say it - Grosjean caused his own accident with his trademark inability to know what's going on around him. Kvyat torpedoed his way to a 10 second penalty. Leclerc was lucky Vettel backed out of a move that was going to end up with a sliced tyre, and I'm kinda stunned nobody is talking about Albon doing 2 moves to put Sainz off the road?

Masterclass at the front. GP2 behind.

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by Greem

I can see an awful lot of changes coming along as a result of this. Not knee-jerk changes, but changes nonetheless.

Lady luck was at the back of the pack today.

I think a dedicated FIRE car taking the start at the back with the medical car with people all suited and booted ready to go and plenty of quick to go fire kit would be a good addition.

F1 dodged a bullet and needs to learn from it, the medical car guys did a great job, but their job is not firefighters.

[gert]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

I think a dedicated FIRE car taking the start at the back with the medical car with people all suited and booted ready to go and plenty of quick to go fire kit would be a good addition.

Sure, but the accident could have happened on lap 2 instead of on lap 1 too.
Or after a safety car restart.

[S griffin]

That really was a lucky escape today. The days of barriers breaking on impact, especially like that were supposed to be long gone. Good job the safety devices on the car did their job

Racing will always be dangerous and there will be incidents and it’s a tribute to safety progress drivers are hardly injured these days, with most getting a few bruises at worst, although some have had a few minor injuries, but very rarely anything serious. But that incident was a blooming scary one for all concerned. It was one you wouldn’t have thought could happen in this day and age. I’m sure plenty will be done to make sure that it’s even more unlikely to happen in the future, as racing will always have it’s incidents and accidents, thrills and spills, but we can’t have unnecessary dangers like that

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

I think a dedicated FIRE car taking the start at the back with the medical car with people all suited and booted ready to go and plenty of quick to go fire kit would be a good addition.

F1 dodged a bullet and needs to learn from it, the medical car guys did a great job, but their job is not firefighters.

What would you say when the fire car and the medical car inevitably crash into each other one day?

And the medical car does carry fire equipment and the crew are specifically trained in using it.

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

I think a dedicated FIRE car taking the start at the back with the medical car with people all suited and booted ready to go and plenty of quick to go fire kit would be a good addition.

F1 dodged a bullet and needs to learn from it, the medical car guys did a great job, but their job is not firefighters.

Ah yes, who else remembers Silverstone Sid?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Apart from the track marshals, does F1 have a designated safety team like IndyCar?

[steve nielsen]

Originally Posted by Greem

Raikkonen, Silverstone, 2014 springs to mind immediately.

It happens far more frequently than you might think, but F1 cars don't often hit bare Armco at speed and the right angle on TV so it looks unusual when they do.

Alan Mcnish, in the Toyota at the 130r at Suzuka 2002

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdmLqyqD8FY

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

F1 dodged a bullet and needs to learn from it, the medical car guys did a great job, but their job is not firefighters.

F1 have over the years pushed fantastic improvements in safety. Today it had developed the bullet proof vest that worked.

Dodged, does not give credit to all those over the years that achieved this. A pretty unique set of circumstances happened and what they put in place worked.

Obviously they should review, take learnings and apply to make even better.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Apart from the track marshals, does F1 have a designated safety team like IndyCar?

Other than the medical team, who supervise the locals, no.

I did mention earlier that I can foresee changes; that is to my mind a distinct possibility *although* Dr Ian Roberts did commend the actions of the local intervention marshal getting enough extinguishant into the flames to allow him to assist Grosjean's escape.

Generally, there are enough people close enough by with enough training & experience to act as first responders, at least one crewed rescue unit within 30 seconds travel time, multiple fire crews in vehicles within 20 to 30 seconds travel time *and* F1 the medical car is never more than a minute or two away from an incident (or far closer at the start of a race).

But none of that dictates that it can't be done differently. In an event where the slightest margin is the difference between life, painful injury or death, it's best to be on the right side of that margin. F1 came pretty close to it today.

[brands]

Brave guys, the fire marshals and the medical car crew. Especially as Dr Roberts had an open face helmet on.

[Greem]

To all of those saying "F1 dodged a bullet", think about this. A lot of it is boringly tedious and rarely thought about, but Grosjean survived because:

1. He was wearing fire retardant (not fire proof!) underwear, balaclava, suit, boots and gloves.
2. He was wearing a helmet.
3. The helmet was attached to an FHR ("HANS Device").
4. He was wearing seatbelts which work with the FHR.
5. The seatbelts were attached to a carbon fibre safety cell.
6. The carbon fibre safety cell had padding to stop the helmet banging about.
7. The carbon fibre safety cell had the Halo device fitted.
8. The bulk of the weight of the car separated from the safety cell, taking much momentum and energy away from the driver.
9. Highly trained medical personnel in a well-equipped car were following.
10. Local marshals were close by and had fire-fighting kit to hand (after they'd gathered themselves up!).

_Any single one of those_ not being in place could have had a very different outcome.

Many people will concentrate - quite rightly - on the Halo, the strength of the car etc but will completely miss the "boring bits" that the Halo is one small part of an entirely integrated system which worked perfectly and someone climbed out and walked off.

Safety is paramount. Today was the best illustration of it that I've seen in years, and years of watching racing at many different levels.