The remains of Romain Grosjean’s car from the dramatic 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix crash will be displayed at the F1 Exhibition in Madrid.
The 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix saw one of the most horrific Formula 1 crashes in this generation.
Former Haas driver Romain Grosjean hit the wall at the Bahrain International Circuit. He was going nearly 120mph in the opening lap of the race.
Due to the hard collision, the Haas car visibly split in half, with the front part of his car lodged into the wall. With this, the French driver couldn’t escape immediately.
He spent 28 seconds sitting in a car on fire before he was finally able to climb out to safety.
Honoring development in the sport
Nearly three years after the dramatic accident, the Formula 1 Exhibition in Madrid will be displaying Romain Grosjean’s car from the fiery crash.
The chassis will sit in a room at the exhibit entitled Survival. To accompany the car, a large video installation will also showcase a short film featuring Romain Grosjean’s recollection of the accident.
“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,” Grosjean shared.
“The survival cell is there for you in case of a huge impact. I was intact inside the shell. 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.”
“My wife was actually watching that race with my dad and my kids. They will remember that moment their entire life. They were just spectators waiting to hear something… waiting to see something from Bahrain.
“I had to break the headrest, punching it with my helmet and then I eventually managed to get my helmet through and stand up in the seat,” Romain Grosjean recalled.
The driver’s crash was a vivid awakening of the dangers that still exist in this sport. However, his survival from the accident was also a testament to how far Formula 1 has come in keeping drivers safe.
With this, the sport has come a long way from its deathly crashes. And the Survival exhibition in Madrid will be dedicated to those who have helped to improve the safety of Formula 1.
The first-ever F1 Exhibition in Madrid will open on March 24, 2023.
Banner image from F1 Exhibition’s video on Twitter.
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