Special equipment, clothes and a shield of family love. What saved F-1 pilot Grožan’s life? / Article / LSM.lv

Frenchman Roman Grožan sees escape from the flaming hell after the Bahrain Grand Prix accident as a traumatic experience on the verge of death and hopes for psychologists’ help, but a variety of safety equipment, including fireproof clothing, played a crucial role in saving the Haas pilot’s life. able to protect against lethal heat for a while. Responsibility for the family also gave Grožan the strength to get out of the fire.

IN SHORT:

• The new standards introduced by the International Automobile Federation contribute to the safety of F-1 pilots
• All parts of the pilot’s clothing have fire safety standards, and manufacturers are trying to exceed them
• Regardless of the nature of the equipment, the pilot must be able to take appropriate action to save his life in an emergency
• Grožana’s 5-year-old son has no doubt that his father was saved by the magical shield of family love

Grožan last weekend crashed in the first lap of the race and his vehicle split in half in the impact against the protective barrier. When the fuel caught fire, the pilot was in the fireball for about half a minute, until he left the wreckage on his own and suffered only moderate hand burns, as well as suffered a psychological shock.

An important role in saving Grožan’s life was to equip F-1 vehicles with the “Halo” system –

an extremely durable titanium arc that protects the pilot’s head from collisions with various objects. The high-tech helmet and clothing also helped the pilot escape. Riders’ overalls are different in every motorsport discipline, but they are all certified and approved for use. Although the suits are not fireproof for a long time, they are able to protect the pilot at least for a while. Special underwear, face mask, gloves also provide additional safety.

In 2020, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) introduced increased safety requirements in the F-1 pilot clothing standard, and Grožan’s supplier Alpinestars even tried to exceed them. From 2020, the pilot’s suit must ensure that the temperature inside the garment does not rise by more than 24 degrees for at least 12 seconds in a heat of 1000 degrees. For shoes and gloves, the requirements are one second lower, although there is an eight-second standard for the palm of the glove. For the first time, certain standards have been applied to underwear, face masks and socks, which must retain heat for at least five seconds.

Some of Alpinestars’ new products exceed the FIA ​​requirements by up to three times.

Alpinestar spokesman Christopher Hilard explained that Grožan’s hand burns are not surprising, as the gloves have only one layer of protection. Glove fire safety is always a relative compromise, as pilots want to maintain maximum tactile contact with controls, Hilard explained.

When Grožan emerged from the wreck, he lost one shoe, but this was not critical, as the next layer of clothing protected the pilot from the fire. All pilot clothing found in the fire will be taken to the Alpinestar laboratory in Italy for research to look for opportunities for improvement.

However, it is up to the pilot himself to be able to mobilize to act in an emergency.

Grožana’s experience suggests that it is not easy even for an experienced F-1 pilot.

“It will take the work of a psychologist, because I really saw death approaching in scenes that even Hollywood can’t create,” while still in a hospital bed in Bahrain, 34-year-old Grožan told French television TF1. “Coming out of that day of flames has marked my life forever.”

Grožans said that after the accident he saw only orange helmets in the visor and different thoughts ran through his consciousness. One of them was the three-time F-1 champion Nikia Laud, who survived the German Grand Prix in 1976 after a formula fire, but suffered severe headaches.

“I don’t know if I can use the word miracle, but my time hadn’t come. It seemed to last much longer than 28 seconds,” the injured pilot said. “I thought it couldn’t be that it would end now. For the sake of my children, I told myself to go outside.”

The pilot’s five-year-old son Simon later told his father that he was protected by the magical shield of family love.

“These are very strong words,” admitted Grožans, who is the father of three children.

Grožans hopes to be able to take part in the final stage of the season in the Abu Dhabi “Grand Prix” on December 13. At the end of the season, Grožan’s contract expires and it is not said that his F-1 career will continue in 2021.

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