MANAMA • Romain Grosjean credited the halo protection bar with saving his life in a fiery crash that ripped his car in two on the opening lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.
His Haas car speared through the barriers after careering off the track at high speed, with the force of the impact splitting the car in half and setting it aflame.
In what was a "miracle escape", the 34-year-old managed to clamber out and limp away from the wreckage, miraculously escaping with only burns to his hands.
"Hello everyone, just wanted to say I am okay, well sort of okay," the Frenchman, his hand swaddled in bandages, said with a smile from his hospital bed in a video posted to social media.
"I wasn't for the halo some years ago but I think it's the greatest thing that we brought to Formula One and without it, I wouldn't be able to speak to you today."
Formula One introduced the halo, a three-point titanium structure above the front of the cockpit designed to protect drivers' heads from flying debris, in 2018 and it initially attracted controversy.
The device was proposed and created after the death of Jules Bianchi, who died in 2015 from head injuries suffered in a crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
Many had voiced their disdain when the introduction of the halo was announced, saying it altered the essence of the open-wheel series. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said he wanted to "take it off with a chainsaw" as the halo was "not aesthetically appealing".
Grosjean, who is out of contract and likely to leave Formula One at the end of the year, was another of those against the safety device, labelling its introduction as a "sad day" for the sport.
On Sunday, his gratitude for its existence was echoed by others in the sport as F1 promised a full investigation into the fireball crash.
The last time an F1 car split in two was at Monaco in 1991 and the last time one caught fire in a crash was at Imola in 1989.
"There's absolutely no doubt the halo was the factor that saved the day and saved Romain," Ross Brawn, F1 managing director for motor sports, said. "It was a lifesaver today. Undoubtedly, we've got to do a very deep analysis of all the events that occurred because there were a number of things that shouldn't have happened. The fire was worrying, the split of the barrier was worrying. I think the positives are the safety of the car and that's what got us through today."
Brawn, who suspected the incident was down to a ruptured connection, added that barriers splitting was a problem from F1's far more dangerous past "and normally, it resulted in a fatality".
Record seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, the race winner for Mercedes, was just thankful the halo had worked and also hailed the swift response of marshals and the medical car team.
"I'm grateful the barrier didn't slice his head up or something like that. It could have been so much worse," said the Briton.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner agreed: "Horrendous. An incident like that, I couldn't see a driver coming out of that.
"All credit to the FIA. For a car to pierce a steel barrier like that and for the driver to survive, with the fire and everything else, it's all credit to the job that they're doing. Romain Grosjean is a very, very fortunate young man tonight."
Max Verstappen and his Red Bull teammate Alex Albon, who profited after an engine failure forced Racing Point's Sergio Perez to retire with three laps left, finished second and third respectively.
Grosjean will sit out this weekend's Sakhir Grand Prix, which is also at the Bahrain International Circuit. Brazilian driver Pietro Fittipaldi - grandson of two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi - will make his F1 debut in his place.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
