FIA draws conclusions on Grosjean heavy crash

After Daniil Kvyat and Grosjean touched in Turn 3, the latter lost control of the car. As a result, the Frenchman speared into the crash barrier. His car caught fire and was completely destroyed. Luckily for Grosjean he could leave the car just in time. However, he had to be taken to hospital with burns.

Important lessons learned

On the FIA website, President Jean Todt said the following. "Important learnings have been drawn from these investigations that will drive our continuous mission to improve safety in Formula 1 and global motorsport. 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.”

The head of safety at the FIA Adam Baker also says that much has been learned. "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."

Announced investigation points

In the investigation the FIA divides the measures into different categories: to the car, the circuit, the driver and the medical aspect. For example, the organisation lists options to look at the current regulations for the rear-view mirror, evaluating the existing installations for opening barriers in the circuit. Improving the heat transfer index of the gloves will also come under scrutiny.