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To: mabarker1

lucky boy


57 posted on 12/01/2020 9:08:51 PM PST by Chode (Send bachelors and come heavily armed. )
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To: Chode

Yes, He most certainly had God watching over Him in that wreck.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/racing/top-stories/romain-grosjean-saw-death-coming-in-fiery-bahrain-gp-crash/articleshow/79516173.cms (video & Pics here)

The ‘halo’ that saved F1 driver Romain Grosjean’s life
NOVEMBER 30, 2020

Haas F1’s Romain Grosjean during the qualifying session for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix. (AFP Photo)
There are some things in life that we tend to resist and dislike at first, only to realise later just how crucial they can be for us. Sometimes it can actually be a matter of life and death.
Just ask 34-year-old French F1 driver who currently races for the Haas F1 team.
On Sunday, F1 witnessed its worst accident in a long time in terms of just how spine chilling the crash was. Grosjean’s car veered right as the cars jostled for an early advantage on the opening lap of the Bahrain GP. One of his back wheels clipped the front of Daniil Kvyat’s Alpha Tauri and his car rammed straight into a crash barrier. According to reports, Grosjean braked when the car was going at approximately 215 kmph and the estimated impact speed was 200 kmph. The impact was measured at a force of 53G.

The impact was so intense that it split Grosjean’s car into two. Since the fuel leaked out, the car immediately caught fire and the raging fireball engulfed Grosjean in his cockpit. He was in the fireball was almost 30 seconds. The Frenchman though didn’t panic and managed to extricate himself from the burning debris and hurled himself onto the track, climbing over the burning hot barrier, with the help of the Chief Medical officer and the Medical car driver. According to the BBC, the last time a F1 car split into two was in Monaco way back in 1991.
Grosjean escaped, miraculously, with minor burns on his fingers, possibly from when he touched the barrier while trying to jump over trackside. He didn’t have a single broken bone in his body and actually managed to walk to the ambulance. 1996 World champion Damon Hill said - “It’s a miracle that he (Grosjean) is alive.”

We are so thankful that Romain Grosjean was able to walk away from this. We did not need a reminder of the bravery… https://t.co/DGu5mySlY0

— Formula 1 (@F1) 1606671597000
Had Grosjean not managed to extricate himself from his car though, pulling him out of that raging fireball would have been extremely difficult.
But the credit for him having survived the horrific crash is being given to the halo system, which was made mandatory by the FIA from the 2018 season onwards as part of their efforts to protect the driver’s head in the event of a crash and from flying debris.

Medics attend to Haas F1’s Romain Grosjean after a crash at the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix. (AFP Photo)
Later, from his hospital bed Grosjean said - “I wasn’t for the halo some years ago, but [now] I think it’s the greatest thing that we’ve had in Formula One and without it I wouldn’t be able to speak to you today.”
In 2017, while the halo was being tested, Grosjean had said that the he “hated it” and it made him “feel sick”.

An update from Romain himself. Pleased to see you’re in good spirits! We hope you make a speedy recovery � https://t.co/njnjjH4GBi

— Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) 1606680431000
WHAT IS THE HALO SYSTEM?
Very simply, the halo is a titanium structure which is mounted on the car’s cockpit. It is fused to the frame of the car in three places and is designed to protect the driver’s head in the event of a crash and/or from flying debris and projectiles.
The concept was first proposed by Mercedes in 2015, with the FIA looking for most effective ways to provide head protection for drivers. The initial version of the halo was made of steel. This did well in tests where a 20kg tyre was fired at it at a speed of 225 kmph. In 2016, a lighter and stronger version made of titanium was used in trials.
The version, which was tested in 2017 weighs about 9 kilograms. That’s the weight of the halo itself. Then there are the mountings, which is approximately around 6kgs more.
The titanium version made its full F1 debut in 2018. And was also introduced in F2, F3 & Formula E. The use of the halo was seen to improve the survival rate of the driver by 17%.
The structure is not manufactured by the teams, but by an FIA approved manufacturer. They are then mounted on the cars by the teams themselves and crash tested.

REACTIONS AFTER GROSJEAN’S CRASH
The halo was not really welcomed with open arms by the teams and the drivers. Someone like reigning World champion Lewis Hamilton was also opposed to the idea.
The basic problems with the halo were seen to be visibility and aesthetics. Also it made the cars heavier. This also meant that the teams needed to lose weight from their car designs to mount the halo system on their cockpits.

Romain Grosjean is pictured on a screen escaping his crash during the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix. (Getty Images)
Those hurdles however were crossed.
After Grosjean’s crash, the halo is being hailed as a life saver, quite literally.
Hamilton after the halo had been tested by Ferrari in Barcelona in 2016 had said that it was “the worst looking modification in Formula 1 history”
On Monday, Hamilton lauded the FIA’s efforts in trying to make the sport safer, saying - “I don’t know what Gs he pulled, but I am just so grateful that the halo worked.....It shows what an amazing job Formula One has done, the FIA has done, for him (Grosjean) to be able to walk away from something like that.”
Fire marshals put out a fire on Romain Grosjean’s car during the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix. (AFP Photo)
Alan van der Merwe, the driver of the F1 medical car, who was one of the first responders after Grosjean’s crash said - “I’ve never seen that much fire in 12 years. It took a little while to process what was going on but then Romain started to get out of the car himself, which was amazing...Everything worked hand in hand today: the halo, the barriers, the seat belt. Without one of the things it could’ve been a different outcome.’’
Red Bull F1 driver Max Verstappen meanwhile said - “I think the halo saved his (Grosjean’s) life. When it came onto the cars I was quite critical about it and it looked ugly. But you can’t say anything about the safety because today it definitely saved Roman.’’
Some reports have claimed that there was a halo shaped hole visible in the crash barrier after Grosjean’s car went through it.
Grosjean hopefully will recover soon from his burns and be back in a car cockpit. There’s no doubt he will now see the halo in a new light.
Romain Grosjean’s car is removed after a crash during the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix. (AFP Photo)


60 posted on 12/01/2020 9:21:48 PM PST by mabarker1 ((Congress- the opposite of PROGRESS!!! A fraud, a hypocrite, a liar. I'm a member of Congress !!!!)
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