BEVERLY HILLS, March 06, (THEWILL) – In a bid to improve the safety of their Formula One racing cars, the ninth racing team from the 2020 Constructor Standings Haas Ferrari has confirmed that they have modified the fuel hatch and the headrest on their car for 2021. This adjustment was considered compulsory after the near fatal Romain Grosjean’s accident at the Bahrain Grand Prix last year.
As reported by THEWILL, Grosjean struck and went through the barrier after Turn 3 at high speed on the opening lap of the race. His Haas car was ripped apart as he pierced the barrier, and the resultant fuel spillage led to an engulfing fire. Fortunately, Grosjean managed to get himself out of the car before he was helped by marshals and safety officials to safety.
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), which is Motorsport’s governing body, released their report into the accident on Friday after a thorough investigation. Based on the findings, Haas boss Guenther Steiner said Grosjean’s car adhered to all safety rules, although the team still made changes to it for this year.
“I think the biggest one is the fuel hatch cannot be attached to the chassis anymore and we’re working on the headrest to make it smaller,” he said. “The headrest is still there but in parts, so it cannot get stuck when it comes off.
The former Jaguar and Red Bull Racing Technical Director added: “We changed because we think it is better to do it in a different way. You always learn out of these situations. Everything was within the regulations what happened, there was nothing wrong with our car.
“It never happened before and what happened [was] some very strange incident to rip off half of the chassis at the back. If there is a better solution we should try to adapt to them all of the time. As I said, you always learn and you always need to stay up with the times.”
Reporting on their findings, the FIA said Grosjean’s crash was one of 19 “significant accidents related to circuit racing” they investigated last year. From the results of their investigations, the body is crafting a raft of new safety initiatives. These initiatives include an update of the FIA standard for safety fuel bladders, increased load testing for survival cells, and reviews into several areas of the car, circuit safety measures, driver safety equipment, and rescue procedures.
Jean Todt, the FIA President was clear about the need for these initiatives: “Important learnings have been drawn from these investigations that will drive our continuous mission to improve safety in Formula 1 and global motor sport.
“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. Safety is and will remain FIA’s top priority.”
On his part, the FIA Safety Director Adam Baker remarked: “Incidents involving fire of this scale are thankfully rare, so it is very important to learn what we can, including the interaction with the high voltage system.
“The efforts of those involved were heroic and have quite rightly been the subject of much praise. Following the approval of our findings by the World Motor Sport Council, we will integrate the actions into the ongoing work.”
The 2021 Formula 1 season is set to feature the biggest ever calendar in the sport’s history, with 23 races on the slate this season.
Action revs up at the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 28, with the season set to see the addition of a new race, in the form of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, as well as F1’s first visit to Zandvoort since 1985, as the Dutch Grand Prix returns to the calendar.
Before Bahrain, however, there will be a shorter pre-season test for 2021, with the teams having just three days to put their cars through their paces ahead of the first race. This expected pre-season testing will also take place at the Bahrain International Circuit, rather than at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as it has done in recent years.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
