Romain Grosjean, Bahrain International Circuit, 2020

“Thank you for saving my life” Grosjean tells crash scene marshals

2020 Bahrain Grand Prix

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Romain Grosjean returned to the Bahrain International Circuit paddock four days since his shocking crash to thank the safety team who aided his rescue.

The Haas driver gave special thanks to the first two firefighters on the scene. He identified Thaer Ali Taher as “the man that crossed the road” to help extinguish the blaze, and presented signed miniature replica helmets to him and fellow Bahrain Civil Defence team member Joby Mathew.

“Your reaction, your attitude – I saw the video – your awareness of where I was in the car, I don’t know how you got it, it must be in you, but thank you for saving my life,” Grosjean told the pair.

Grosjean also met with the Medical Car driver Alan van der Merwe and doctor Ian Roberts, FIA Formula 1 race director Michael Masi and other marshals, medical staff and safety team members.

“Thank you for coming, for giving the flags to warn us, to come and help us when we are in a difficult situation and thanks for trying to help me,” he told them all.

Grosjean spent 28 seconds in his burning car before freeing himself as marshals and the Medical Car crew arrived on the scene to begun extinguishing the blaze and extracting him. His Haas struck the guardrail with a force of 53G, splitting it in two.

The barrier has been replaced and now has a tyre wall in front of it. “I’m glad you changed that barrier,” Grosjean told Masi.

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Romain Grosjean and safety team, Bahrain International Circuit, 2020
Romain Grosjean and safety team, Bahrain International Circuit, 2020

2020 Bahrain Grand Prix

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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12 comments on ““Thank you for saving my life” Grosjean tells crash scene marshals”

  1. Watching that video of him thanking the marshals (at F1.com) was emotional.

  2. Emotional reunion.

  3. Does weight matter anymore for the driver? Looks like he is carrying a lot of unnecessary muscle in his upper body.

    1. Since 2019 there has been a minimum driver weight of 80 kg. Any weight less than this needs to be made up with ballast. I think the 80kg also includes the seat, so the minimum is pretty low. I would guess Romain probably weighs in just under the minimum with his seat and still needs ballast added.

      1. @ryanoceros @darryn
        From what I could find, he’s 71 kg.

  4. Has anyone heard the duration of the 53g impact force Romain experienced? It would be interesting to see a force curve. Does the helmet record forces in real time or does it just record the max force experienced?

  5. Willem Cecchi (@)
    4th December 2020, 6:13

    It’s great to see marshalls get recognition! I always feel they do not get enough appreciation for the volunteering they do all around the world in F1 and lower series.

  6. While ofc Grosjean can perceive/say/feel however/whatever he wants, it still seems contrived for him to thank all these people. In reality, after putting himself in grave danger, Grosjean neatly saved himself. No marshals or medical team or firemen extracted Grosjean – he hauled himself up and out of his burning wreck.

    1. Thinking the same, but it must be important to him emotionally I suppose, and maybe that’s just exactly what he feels like doing now.

  7. The moment of the season. Before the last race, my choice would’ve been Gasly’s win, but this, even if off-track, betters everything else that’s happened thus far.

  8. Didn’t grosjean save himself tho? I don’t get all this fanfare afterwards for the marshals etc.

  9. If I remember correctly, Gerhard Berger thanked the marshals who rescued him after his crash at Tamburello with a dinner the following Grand Prix.

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