Skip to main content

F1 driver in fireball crash is certain the car’s halo saved his life

 

Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean is lucky to be alive after a horrific crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday that saw his vehicle rip in half and burst into flames.

Recommended Videos

In dramatic footage of the incident, the 34-year-old French driver can be seen scrambling out of the fireball that suddenly engulfed his car after he smashed through a barrier at 140 mph during Sunday’s race. He is now recovering in the hospital after suffering burns to his hands and ankles.

A heart-stopping moment on Lap 1 in Bahrain

We are all incredibly grateful that @RGrosjean walked away from this incident#BahrainGP 🇧🇭 #F1 pic.twitter.com/6ZztuxOLhw

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 29, 2020

Speaking from his hospital bed just hours after the crash, Grosjean assured fans he was “OK … well sort of OK,” and thanked everyone for their messages of support.

He added that he believed the vehicle’s “halo” safety device saved his life by protecting his head and absorbing the brunt of the impact.

“I wasn’t for the halo some years ago, but I think it’s the greatest thing that we’ve brought to Formula 1, and without it I wouldn’t be able to speak to you today,” Grosjean said, adding, “Thanks to all the medical staff at the circuit, at the hospital, and hopefully I can write you quite soon some messages and tell you how it’s going.”

The best video we've seen today?

THIS 🙂 👊#BahrainGP 🇧🇭 #F1 @RGrosjean pic.twitter.com/TbGblznMBv

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 29, 2020

The halo crash-protection system is a curved bar made with around 7 kilograms of sculpted titanium that’s placed around the cockpit of the racing car. Its ability to withstand 125 kilonewtons of force (equivalent to 12 tons) makes it the most robust part of an F1 car.

The development of the halo came about after French F1 driver Jules Bianchi died in the hospital in July 2015 after sustaining serious head injuries in a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix nine months earlier.

Not everyone welcomed the safety device when it was first fitted to cars in 2018, with some in the sport saying it went against the tradition of open-cockpit racing, separating to some extent the driver from the fans. Others, however, welcomed it as a vital measure to protect drivers from serious injury in the event of a crash, as well as from flying debris caused by accidents elsewhere on the track.

Grosjean, for one, believes he owes his life to the device, and after his miracle escape from his burning car on Sunday with only relatively minor injuries, he could be back behind the wheel before too long.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
I drove 500 miles with Android Automotive, here’s why every car needs it
Google News on Android Automotive on the Chevy Equinox 2025

The worlds of smartphones and cars have long been colliding, as Google and Apple have prioritized building new experiences with CarPlay and Android Auto, respectively, even as carmakers have continued to develop their own infotainment experiences. 

Despite the success of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both platforms have key issues, namely that they run on top of the car’s operating system, which means they lack the tight integration that yields the best experience and rely on your phone for certain functions. To address these issues, both companies have also been developing operating systems that can power cars.

Read more
Uber partners with May Mobility to bring thousands of autonomous vehicles to U.S. streets
uber may mobility av rides partnership

The self-driving race is shifting into high gear, and Uber just added more horsepower. In a new multi-year partnership, Uber and autonomous vehicle (AV) company May Mobility will begin rolling out driverless rides in Arlington, Texas by the end of 2025—with thousands more vehicles planned across the U.S. in the coming years.
Uber has already taken serious steps towards making autonomous ride-hailing a mainstream option. The company already works with Waymo, whose robotaxis are live in multiple cities, and now it’s welcoming May Mobility’s hybrid-electric Toyota Sienna vans to its platform. The vehicles will launch with safety drivers at first but are expected to go fully autonomous as deployments mature.
May Mobility isn’t new to this game. Backed by Toyota, BMW, and other major players, it’s been running AV services in geofenced areas since 2021. Its AI-powered Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) tech allows it to react quickly and safely to unpredictable real-world conditions—something that’s helped it earn trust in city partnerships across the U.S. and Japan.
This expansion into ride-hailing is part of a broader industry trend. Waymo, widely seen as the current AV frontrunner, continues scaling its service in cities like Phoenix and Austin. Tesla, meanwhile, is preparing to launch its first robotaxis in Austin this June, with a small fleet of Model Ys powered by its camera-based Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. While Tesla aims for affordability and scale, Waymo and May are focused on safety-first deployments using sensor-rich systems, including lidar—a tech stack regulators have so far favored.
Beyond ride-hailing, the idea of personally owned self-driving cars is also gaining traction. Waymo and Toyota recently announced they’re exploring how to bring full autonomy to private vehicles, a move that could eventually bring robotaxi tech right into your garage.
With big names like Uber, Tesla, Waymo, and now May Mobility in the mix, the ride-hailing industry is evolving fast—and the road ahead looks increasingly driver-optional.

Read more
The Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the $7,500 tax credit
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

After a brief and confusing absence, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit — and this time, it's sticking around (at least for now). So, what happened? Let’s unpack the ride.

The Ioniq 5, a sleek and tech-savvy electric crossover, initially made headlines not just for its design, but for being built at Hyundai’s brand-new Metaplant in Georgia. That domestic assembly qualified it for the EV tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which requires vehicles to be made in North America with batteries sourced from trade-friendly countries. But early in 2025, the Ioniq 5 vanished from the list. Why? Likely due to its battery packs, which were then still being sourced from SK On’s Hungarian facility.

Read more