2020 FORMULA 1 SEASON

[BlueHen]

18 seconds from impact to extraction. Visor melted. Incredible.

 

[BlueHen]

Upon further review, that was over 25 seconds impact to extraction. Unreal.

 

[1ashchuckton]

So very thankful RoGro was able to escape with minor injuries. When I saw that crash I thought the driver was surely dead. Yes the halo kept his head on his shoulders, but Romain jumping out of that inferno unaided. Simply amazing!

I remember Berger 's Ferrari bursting into a fireball at Imola. This looked 10 times worse. I wonder how many G's Romain pulled.

 

[CarlosCanizares]

The fact he went through the barriers and survived is a testament to the halo. If I was the CMO, I wouldn’t even know where to start looking for Romain in that fireball. Glad he wasn’t unconscious and started pulling himself out.

Karun is right that it thankfully happened shortly after the start. Had it happened in the later corners, the Med car wouldn’t have been there.

 

[3rdOne]

it was the first time my jaw dropped at an accident , looked so spectacular (not in a good way). Was seriously thinking it was going to be very bad for the driver.

 

[1ashchuckton]

Romain had much good luck on his side today. The halo really did pass the test. Seems the crew in the medical car should be wearing full face helmets with a visor they can drop down. Brave folks those two along with the corner workers.

Karun is right if it was after the medical car left the track it may have been much worse.

 

[CarlosCanizares]

Also got me thinking that if F1 had gone with the aero screen, Romain likely wouldn’t be with us anymore. Not sure how strong that is compared to the halo - which is aptly named.

 

[1ashchuckton]

From what I understand the aero screen was produced by the same people who make the halo. I think it would have done well, but that is just interweb forum speculation. One thing I do know is I hope to God we never find out.

 

[vbrad26]

I can't say anything else that has already been said.
Absolutely nuts. He is very lucky. Everyone did a good job.
I didn't think I would see much worse than Alonso in Australia.
Watching him (Alonso) crawl out of that wreck was awesome (in the literal sense).
But watching RG jump out of that fire was just unreal. I couldn't believe it.

 

[Thumper]

The fact that there were no tires in front of that barrier was amazing. The damn thing acted like a knife. It says something when the temporary repairs they did (concrete barriers) were more substantial and safe than the in place equipment.

Yeah, yeah....off corner, down a straight........that barrier was just foolish. Like a car has never blown a tire and turned hard right on a straight before? I hope F1 doesn't go there again until they beef up their safety barriers.

 

[1ashchuckton]

I'm not sure hitting a concrete wall at that speed would have been survivable. It has been said Romain took something like 50G. Lots of energy was dissipated as the car pushed through the barrier. That being said he is one incredibly lucky Frenchman.

There has to be a better way to protect. Safer barrier of some sort.

They are racing on the same track this coming weekend. Although in a different configuration.

More info on the crash

 

[CarlosCanizares]

Lewis tests positive for COVID.

 

[1ashchuckton]

Lewis tests positive for COVID.

Well damn that sucks. I wonder who will be the sub will be & how they will do.

 

[Thumper]

I'm not sure hitting a concrete wall at that speed would have been survivable.

It depends, since the car was traveling sideways and not just directly into the wall the impact would have then slid the car down the concrete barrier. He likely would have punched the nose in, then the car would spin around backwards slamming the left side tires into the barrier and then possibly coming around again with the rear end against the wall.

What would not have happened was having the car ripped completely in two and exploding in a fireball. If RG had been knocked unconscious he would have burned to death, if he passed out from the impact with a concrete barrier he would still have made it. It was awesome that the medical car was so close, and those guys are heros for rushing that fire..........but bottom line they didn't get RG out of the car, he did that himself. If he hadn't been able to do that it wouldn't have mattered how close they were.

I'm just saying, F1 cars have not burst into flames in accidents for decades, to have one do so now solely because of contact with a safety barrier means that barrier is not actually safe.

 

[1ashchuckton]

That barrier armco wall was not parallel to the track. It came out at an angle. Not sure how many degrees out it was. That surely contributed to the severity of the hit.

I saw Ted Kravitz saying this morning that the suit Romain was wearing gave him 20 seconds of protection. The gloves give 10 seconds. Reports say he was in the fire for 18 seconds. That explains his hand burns. Man is that ever cutting it close. So thankful he survived.