Romain Grosjean’s fireball Formula 1 crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix occurred at 119mph🉐 and registered a peak impact of 67G, according to an FIA investigation into the accident.

F1’s governing body, the FIA published the findings of its investigation into Grosjean’s terrif💃ying, fiery crash during last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday.

The report, which comprised interviews with all involved, inspection of the physical evidence, analysis of available video material, and data from the car’s accident data recorder and driver’s ear accelerometers, provided a detailed outcome into what happened and has helped the FIA determine how to make further safety improvements in th🦹e future.

The investigation was examined by the Serious Accident Study Group𒈔, which is chaired by FIA president Jeanꦉ Todt.

How the accident unfolded

Grosjean made contact with Daniil Kvyat’s front left wheel as the pair diced for position on the opening lap of the race, causing the Frenchman’s Haas to veer off into the barriers at Turn 3 while tr෴avel✨ling at 241 km/h (149.75mph).

His car then impacted the gua💮rdrail barrier behind the run-off area at 192 km/h (119mph) at an angle of 29 degrees. The force and angle at which Grosjean’s Haas pierced the barriers caused the middle rail to fail and resulted in his survival sell becoming lodged.

“The car suffered extensive damage during the impact including separation of the power train assembly from the survival ceꦦll. The fuel tank inspection hatch on the left-hand side of the chassis was dislodged and the engine fuel supply connection was torn from the fuel tank “safety bladder”;🍎 both providing primary paths for the escape of fuel from the tank,” the report noted.

“The driver safety equipment including helmet, HANS and safety harness as well as the survival cell, seat, headrest and Halo frontal cockpit protection performed according꧙ to their specifications in protecting the driver’s survival space and managing the forces appliღed to the driver during the impact.

“The high voltage Energy Recovery Systemꦯ (ERS) battery was significantly damaged, with some parts of the ERS battery assembly remaining with the powertrain and others remaining attached to♎ the survival cell.”

The resulting fire and rescue

Moments after the impact with the barrier, Grosjean’s car soon became engulfed in flames, starting from the rear of the survival cell and progressing forwards towards him as it grew.

Grosjean’s left foot became stuck as he attempted to extricate himself from the car, but he was able to free himself from the wreckage🦩 after managing to remove his racing boot, as well as the dislodged headrest and steering wheel.

The report noted that the race was red-flagged within 5.5 seconds of the accident, with the FIA Medical Car arriving on the scene within 11 se🗹conds of Grosjean’s impact, partly in thanks due to taking a shortcut to avoid Turn 1.

“The arrival of the Medical Car carrying the FIA F1 Medical Rescue Coordinator Dr Ian Roberts, FIA F1 Medical Car Driver Alan van der Merwe and a local doctor, provided ♐immediate assistance with each performing a pre-determined role,” it continued꧃.

“Ian Roberts went immediately to the scene of the incident and instructed a marshal to operate the dry powder extinguisher around the cockpit where he identified Romain Grosjean as trying to make his egress. Alan Van der Merwe retrieved a fire extinguisher from the rear of the FIA Medical Car whilst the local doctorꦜ prepared the trauma bag.”

Gr🍸osjean was finally able to escape his burning car after 27 seconds, emerging unscathed aside from burns to t🍨he back sides of both hands.

After spending three days in hospital, he was discharged on 2 December 2𓆉020.

22 areas for improvement 

ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚThe FIA has identified a total of 22 areas where driver safety can be improved as a result of the investigation, including changes to the f꧑uel hatch, footwell and headrest.

“Important learnings have been drawn from these investigations that will drive our contꦫinuous mission to improve safety in Formula 1 and global motor sport,” said Todt.

“The enduring commitment of the FIA, particularly the Safety Department, on reducing risks associated with motor sport enabled Romain Grosjean to maintain consciousness and survive an accident of this magnitude. Safe🃏ty is and will remain FꦑIA’s top priority.”

The full list of areas the FI🅰A will look to address are as follows:

Vehicle 

- Regulation of survival cell front geometry, ⭕plu🌺s additional load tests in that area

- Review of existi💎ng regulations regarding rear view mirrors

- Review of steering column mounting requirements

- Revi💎ew of regulation and homologatℱion requirements for headrest assembly

𒊎- Analysis of Power Unit mounting and mount f💮ailure modes

- Ongoing research p♏roject: Wheel Restraint Cables (tethers)

- Design review of safety fuel bladder installations🎀 in all FIA single seater categories

- Recommendations for safety fuel blad🎀der installation best practice

- Update of the FI꧃A Sℱtandard for safety fuel bladders

- Review of regulations for design of❀ safety fuel bladder connections and inspection hatches

- Fuel homologation to includ꧙e compatibility of bladder material a𝓀nd specific fuel

Circuit 

- Increased 🌺functionality for Circuit Safety Analysis Software (CSAS) including quantitative impact 🙈probability classification

- R🧸eview of existing circu🍒it barrier opening installations

- Review of guidelines/process for circuit homol✱ogation and licence renewal

Driver safety equipment 

- Inve🌊stigation into improvement🌸s to the gloves’ Heat Transfer Index (HTI)

- Ongoing research project: Visor opening/locking mechanisms; project scope extended to include requirements to ensure that visor opening🃏 systems are operational after being exposed to fire

- Ongoing research project: Extinguisher system for open cockpit cars; project scope ex🍌tended to include investigation of improved activation mechanisms

Medical and Rescue 

- Updates to Medical Intervention Vehicle equipment, including al൲t𝄹ernate extinguisher types

- Provide ASN guidance on post-fire decontaminat♕ion

- Ongoing development of FIA firefighting t🍸raining module fo🃏r ASNs

- Ongoing developmen𒆙t🐭 of FIA high voltage safety training module for ASNs

- ꦺOngoing development of FIA Incident Command/Co-ordination training module f🥂or ASNs

Additionally, th𝓀e FIA Safety Department is also planning further 🍸research projects such as:

- Investigation of options for proximity warn﷽ing systems and electronic visibility aids&nb🤪sp;

- Research into retrofit and upgrade optiꦐons to improve impact performance of existing guardrail barriers

- Research into novel barrier systems, effectiv🧜e across a wider range of impact conditions

- Research to assess current fire extinguishing media, firefighting equipment and personal protect♚ive equipment and assess new technologies