Safety: The Utmost Priority

 

Last night's race was a reminder that the risks all Formula 1 drivers take are very, very real. 

Yes, Lewis Hamilton may have won. Yes, Red Bull may have achieved a double podium. Yes, Sergio Perez should have been up there in 3rd place. But none of that surpasses the very real threat to life that Romain Grosjean experienced in the first lap of a traumatic Bahrain Grand Prix. 

In the 13 years that I have watched Formula 1, I have never seen anything so shocking to the point that I had goosebumps as I worried for the Frenchman's life. It takes me back to the day Jules Bianchi had his horrific incident in Japan. And I am not going to lie, at one point I thought Romain had lost his life in that very accident. Car split in 2, fire consuming the entire vehicle, and in the middle of that Grosjean trying to get out of the cockpit, it was an unbelievable sight to see. 

Fortunately, a figure emerged from the flames and Ian Roberts, F1's medical doctor, pulled him away from the fire, ensuring that he was alright. It was a tense few moments for drivers, engineers, and viewers all around the world as we waited to hear the latest on Grosjean who was declared conscious with potential broken ribs and burns on his ankles and wrists. Had the Halo and Hans protection devices not been administered by the FIA, Romain could have very well lost his life.

We are grateful that he is alive, conscious, and well. The entire F1 community hopes he makes a speedy recovery. 

The race itself feels of far less importance given the events that unfolded early on in Sakhir. Stroll's car flipped over after the restart which added more tension to the race however the incredible safety features of the modern-day F1 car meant that he escaped without a scratch to his body. From there on it was back to regular racing as Lewis led the field after a safety car was brought out to remove the Force India's car. Among all this, Bottas who had a horrific start falling to 6th picked up debris on his tyres leading to a puncture and an unscheduled pitstop dropping him back to the end of the pack. A race to forget for the Finn it must be said. 

Meanwhile, Verstappen and Perez were fighting it out for 2nd place with Albon in the mix and both the McLaren drivers up into the points after very strong restarts. As the race unfolded, it became more and more evident that it would be a 2 stop rather than a single stop race given the degradation of tyres. Thoughts for Sergio Perez though who drove a brilliant race and was set to take the final podium place but an engine failure with 3 laps to go meant that Albon would sneak in a cheeky podium. Credit however to Renault who had a double points finish and even more so to McLaren who came home in 4th and 5th. Carlos the comeback king it seems who has made it into the top 5 two races in a row after starting in P15 both times. Ferrari will be excited for his racing ability next year as he joins Charles Leclerc, the man who he overtook into turn 1 at high speed. 

A double DNF for the pink panthers means that the midfield battle is even tighter with 2 races left. Renault, Ferrari, Force India, and McLaren all have a chance to finish 3rd but who will it finally be? 

We look forward to next week as Sakhir hosts yet another Grand Prix with a far different track layout which will suit cars with higher straight-line speeds. Till then, stay safe and stay well. 

Romain, our thoughts and prayers are with you.