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Massive accident in Formula 1 today in Bahrain

5K views 55 replies 12 participants last post by  Pterodactyl 
#1 · (Edited)
Roman is one lucky guy today, he went to "H ell and back", check YouTube to see some very vivid and disturbing videos from today's race.



 
#4 ·
It is attached to the exterior rear of the survival cell. I think the intent is to put in the center of the car so it is protected from impact as much as possible. The car breaking in half as the HAAS car did is evidently rare. Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle a former F1driver, made a comment that he hadn't seen a car break in half for decades.
 
#7 ·
Crazy accident, he's a lucky boy. If I was him, I would take that as a sign and leave while I still could. I know Romain still wants to race, but his time in F1 is over and I really think he should stick with his initial reaction NOT to go to Indy cars. He has 3 kids and he just cheated death, go and live your life. He has a good enough personality to become a pundit for at least his country for F1, and maybe even join the Sky team, but I would hang it up altogether after this. He's out of a drive anyway and he should walk away at this point. That's my opinion but c'est la vie.



Yeah you know, I like Valterri and all, but I think Merc is making a mistake by waiting so long to bring George Russell into the fold. Russell is super fast when testing in the Merc and judging by the way he got to F1 with dominance, they are waiting too long. Ocon is not the one for them, you can tell by the way Ricciardo is outperforming him. Russell is their future, but they should have brought him at the start of the 2021 season. Why have a young driver academy at all if you don't intend to bring young drivers into the factory drives? Russell could be 'the one' for them.

Anyway, my opinion.
 
#6 ·
Roman still in the hospital today (01.Dec), and already telling media he wants to get back in the cockpit this weekend :rolleyes: ...lovely wife, three kids, millions in the bank....

"What on earth is he trying to prove?" ...his wife should show up by his hospital bed with a "jerry can and matches" and ask him; "What did you just tell the media?...are you F*** kidding me, what's wrong with you? don't make me test this hospital fire system..." 😋🤣
 
#18 ·
Roman still in the hospital today (01.Dec), and already telling media he wants to get back in the cockpit this weekend :rolleyes: ...lovely wife, three kids, millions in the bank....

"What on earth is he trying to prove?" ...his wife should show up by his hospital bed with a "jerry can and matches" and ask him; "What did you just tell the media?...are you F*** kidding me, what's wrong with you? don't make me test this hospital fire system..." 😋🤣
Crazy accident, he's a lucky boy. If I was him, I would take that as a sign and leave while I still could. I know Romain still wants to race, but his time in F1 is over and I really think he should stick with his initial reaction NOT to go to Indy cars. He has 3 kids and he just cheated death, go and live your life. He has a good enough personality to become a pundit for at least his country for F1, and maybe even join the Sky team, but I would hang it up altogether after this. He's out of a drive anyway and he should walk away at this point. That's my opinion but c'est la vie.

Yeah you know, I like Valterri and all, but I think Merc is making a mistake by waiting so long to bring George Russell into the fold. Russell is super fast when testing in the Merc and judging by the way he got to F1 with dominance, they are waiting too long. Ocon is not the one for them, you can tell by the way Ricciardo is outperforming him. Russell is their future, but they should have brought him at the start of the 2021 season. Why have a young driver academy at all if you don't intend to bring young drivers into the factory drives? Russell could be 'the one' for them.

Anyway, my opinion.
People who do that kind of stuff and are really, really good at it just are not wired like us mere mortals.
 
#8 ·
I guess Alonso is signed for 2021, Good to see him back he is a likable guy, although I don't think he can compete with young (crazy and reckless) talents like Max, Sainz, Russel, Lando, Albon etc
Most F1 comebacks didn't quite work as expected. He must be bringing some good sponsors with him (yes it's all about money unfortunately)
p.s. they better prepare some lawn chairs along the track for him :cool: :-D
 
#9 ·
Buncha F1 nerds...

The only team that matters is Toro Rosso!!

Verstappen rules!

Me hoovercraft zit vull mè poaling'n :laugh:
 
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#20 · (Edited)
I think they are still just normal average humans, you see them often how they cry on the side of the track, when they DNF (probably thinking; "oh F** there goes my 2 Million for not winning"), then they make mistakes just like anybody else

Also Roman said he first thought about Lauda, and then he thought about his three kids, and that's when he got the strength to get out...and all that within the first 15 seconds after impact.

They are just like us, we do 200-250kph (on track) and they do 350kph but with the proper race car it feels like 200kph. Nothing superhuman. MotoGP guys doing 350kph on a bike, their job is probably 10 times more risky then the well protected F1 drivers.

to put this speed in perspective a record for jet fighter speed is 7200 kph...should we consider those pilots super-humans...of course no, just another job.

Number 1: North American X-15 This aircraft has the current world record for the fastest manned aircraft. Its maximum speed was Mach 6.70 (about 7,200 km/h) which it attained on the 3rd of October 1967 thanks to its pilot William J. "Pete" Knight.
 
#27 ·
True, though he had some promising years and a number of podiums with one that should have been a win. He actually had to step back one year after losing his Renault F1 ride due to too many incidents and he was considered to be a crasher. But he went back to then GP2 (now F2) and won the championship. When he got back, it looked like he had a promising career. When he left Lotus (now Renault again) to go to the new American Haas F1 team, that was a very risky move on his part. His last couple of years have pretty much been miserable. Funny enough he is a current Grand Prix Drivers' Association director (along with Sebastian Vettel).

Again, he was very, very lucky to escape with this horrifying accident. I used to hate the Halo and I still think it looks horrible, but you can't deny that it has had a positive impact (pun intended) in F1 safety.
 
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#28 ·
I still like the name... Only because I am a huge Honda fan. I know Honda got outta F1 fuel the game.

I think the Halo, that was recently introduced, and made mandatory may have saved him.

I was reading that the fire was "fueled" by only the fuel in the filler cap area! WTF??

I am glad he walked away from it, and thank 3M for the fire suit!! (I am only guessing 3M made them.)

They are truly athletes, regardless of what others may think. The last time I watched them, at COTA, in 2019, it was warm, and they said that the drivers could lose up to 7 pounds from sweating, during the runs! That's gotta hurt!!

Truth to tell, although I thoroughly enjoyed watching F1 at COTA, and it IS amazing live, I more enjoyed the vintage exhibitions of all the older F1 cars! And even more enjoyable was being able to walk through and talk to the F4 teams, and actually get right close to the cars!! I never pay to get into the Million dollar paddocks...

I was in Germany when I was a kid and my Dad took me to watch F1, in Nürburgring. I was 7. What an impression that made on my then burgeoning gearhead! The smells, sounds and sites of these cars solidified in me, what truly runs through my veins.

****... almost 50 years of gearheading...
 
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#30 ·
I was reading that the fire was "fueled" by only the fuel in the filler cap area! WTF??

I was in Germany when I was a kid and my Dad took me to watch F1, in Nürburgring. I was 7. What an impression that made on my then burgeoning gearhead! The smells, sounds and sites of these cars solidified in me, what truly runs through my veins.
Yes, that was not a full-on fuel fire because of the safety built into the fuel cell and separation. That's what's so incredible, the fireball he was engulfed in was huge and to think that was 'just' the fuel from the cockpit (fuel filler section) and not all the fuel in the fuel cell. It was at the start of the race, so they were fully loaded with fuel and that would have surely ended up different. But you have to say that one of the MAIN reasons this ended as good as it could have, is due to how fast the medical personnel (and others) were on the scene to tend to him and help him.

And wow, you were very lucky to see F1 at the Nürburgring; it's an amazing track. Very cool.
 
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#29 ·
The commentators have said they they're carrying about 110 kgs of fuel at the beginning of a race so maybe 240 pounds. At 6 pounds per gallon, maybe 40 gallons. I know that was a big fire, but was it a 40 gallon fire?

I think I heard them say that it was just the fuel in the collector, and that it was be about 2.5 gallons. 2.5 gallons of fuel lit all at once makes a big fire. As big as it was, I'm still not sure what they had in that Haas was big enough or spread enough for 40 gallons.

On the other hand, one of the commentators said the fuel tank was empty, so what do I know?

As far as Grosjean getting back in another car, that's what he does for a living. Whether he does or not, I seriously admire him for having the presence of mind during that 14 seconds or so, to do what needed to be done to get out without panicking. I've sometimes thought of him as a whiner from some of his radio calls and interviews, but I'll never look at him the same way again.
 
#31 ·
On the other hand, one of the commentators said the fuel tank was empty, so what do I know?

I've sometimes thought of him as a whiner from some of his radio calls and interviews, but I'll never look at him the same way again.
Hmmm...I have to find out about the fuel cell being empty...that doesn't jive with it being the start of the race and only burning the fuel in the filler/collector.

I've been a fan of Romain until the past 2 years; I agree that he has seemed like a whiner, though I believe that the way Sky releases just certain communications and others not is done for ratings. It doesn't mean that no other racer makes these comments and I do believe that they are taking out of context a lot, not to mention the timing of the messages; they can be from a completely different timeframe and seem like it is happening right then.

Off topic; maybe Romain should become a lettuce spokesman...:grin2:
 
#40 ·
Isn't F1 required to make 1 fuel stop?

I know one strategy is to make an early run with a very light fuel load to gap the field in an attempt to gain some seconds before a long stop and slow lap times while running a full load of fuel.
 
#42 ·
Isn't F1 required to make 1 fuel stop?

I know one strategy is to make an early run with a very light fuel load to gap the field in an attempt to gain some seconds before a long stop and slow lap times while running a full load of fuel.
No fuel stop, which Bugs was right about, but they have to use two different tire compounds and that necessitates a pit stop. However, if it is deemed a "wet race", then the two different tire compound rule is not in affect.
 
#41 ·
Refueling during the race is currently banned in F1.
 
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#45 ·
Yes, but during a race weekend they only have 3 slick compounds and 2 rain compounds available, they DO NOT have all 5 slick compounds available during one race weekend; the Hard, Medium and Soft compounds are pre-determined prior to the race. It was meant to stop confusing the viewers when they had no less than 7 different compounds for slicks and names like the pink Hypersofts, as well as the orange Super Hards, compounds were confusing to the average viewer. Not me mind you, but then again I'm not an average viewer. :grin2:

HOWEVER, during the ACTUAL race they are required to run 2 different compounds a minimum and that was my point for the pit stop requirement...except if it is a wet race, then that rule goes out the window. LOL

So now I think we can stop with posting the rest of the F1 regulations, since I doubt this forum (aka NOT an F1 forum) seriously cares about the nitty gritty details of F1 rules and regulations. Besides, next year the tires will be different again!!! >:)
 
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#51 ·
Here's an interview where Grosjean talks candidly about his accident:
 
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#52 ·
Ever met a Brazilian man? Every single one I ever met can talk F1 all day long. I was in a coffee shop yesterday wearing a BMW Motorrad hat. Guy approaches me and asks if I know were he can buy an Airhead (I do). An hour later we are still talking F1. Turns out he was born and raised in Brazil, went to Harvard and has been a Pastor here in Montana for 15 years. It is hard to find anyone that likes F1 or MotoGP to the pont of being obnoxious. If you find one, then cling to them like mud.
 
#54 ·
I was amazed that he escaped. We saw that on TV and saw the car totally engulfed in flame, and I said "He's dead." I was positive nobody could escape from that.

I said earlier in this thread (last month ;) ) that I admire his presence of mind to do what it took to get out, and after that interview I admire him even more so.
 
#55 ·
yes he was LUCKY, and he escaped almost without any help, some say he was lucky it was the first lap and the medical car was right behind him, but you can see nobody could get close to the inferno, I bet they will double or triple the number of marshals with fire extinguishers, and most likely re-design those barriers.

here is another terrifying crash I remember, and a testament of how good these racing cars are, that must have been 50G's impact, it's beyond unbelievable how Sophie walked away, and apparently now still racing. Lucky she hit that car and went airborne, that scaffolding structure absorbed all of the impact. Must be hard to be a parent and watch this on live TV.

p.s. "The NHTSA standard for a sudden impact acceleration on a human that would cause severe injury or death is 75 g's for a "50th percentile male", 65 g's for a "50th percentile female", and 50 g's for a "50th percentile child".

 
#56 ·
Certainly there was an element of luck, but he is alive because of the research and development that made his car and gear allow him to survive the crash and subsequent fire. His reaction to the situation he was in was also key to his survival, but I suppose drivers at his level are generally calm, cool and collected under pressure. He remarked after the accident that he probably owes his life to the halo device that was mandated a few years ago. It not only kept him alive but he remained alert and able to respond to the fire after cutting his way through the roadside barrier. Good luck is normally the product of good preparation.
 
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