“If Grosjean’s accident were to happen again, the car would no longer catch fire”
Romain Grosjean had a huge and spectacular accident during the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. While the car, which was split in two, played a crucial role in his survival, the incident that followed has undergone extensive analysis by the FIA to prevent it from happening again.
Jean Todt, former President of the FIA since the end of 2021, was invited to France 2 with Romain Grosjean. He extensively discussed accidents in F1 and the actions of the FIA. Todt let it be known that the FIA had already implemented measures since last year to ensure that the fuel tanks could now withstand impacts without breaking.
« It’s important to know that today, if this accident were to occur, the car wouldn’t catch fire. Because we have taken this accident into account, learned from it and conducted research and work, which ensures that the car wouldn’t catch fire. So, despite the relatively limited consequences Romain [note: Grosjean] has on his hand, it will also prevent other colleagues from being burned.
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Romain Grosjean’s crash showed how cars can now provide protection. Embedded in the barrier, it was first the Halo that saved Grosjean’s life. However, the barriers also caused the splitting in two of the car at the power unit area: « The car suffered significant damage upon impact, including the separation of the power unit from the survival cell. The fuel tank inspection hatch on the left side of the chassis was dislodged, and the fuel supply connection to the engine was torn away from the safety bladder », resulting in substantial fuel leakage from the tank. » explained the FIA statement.
It was then that the fire spread when the gasoline came into contact with the hot components of the engine.
The fire broke out during the final moments of the barrier impact, starting from the back of the survival cell and progressing towards the front, towards the driver, as the fire intensified.
The FIA specifies in its statement that solutions have been implemented regarding the “bladder” of the fuel tank and the connections with the fuel cap. The installation procedure has been updated and provided to the teams during the construction of the single-seaters.
