It’s a race that won’t go down in history as one of the most memorable, however one horrific accident certainly will make it a talking point for many years to come. Let’s get to it.
The most horrific accident I’ve seen in 26 years
I’ve been watching this sport since I was about seven years old. I remember seeing Ayrton Senna’s crash in Imola in 1994 and being turned away for a couple of years before my favourite driver Michael Schumacher joined my favourite team Ferrari in 1996.
Since then I’ve been hooked and treated F1 like my religion. In that time, I’ve seen some absolutely terrible accidents.
From the aforementioned Senna’s at Imola, to Schumacher breaking his leg at Silverstone in 1999 causing a 12-year-old me to be in tears for about a week. I watched in horror as Robert Kubica was flung through the air like a rag doll at Montreal in 2008, gasped as Mark Webber was launched over the back of Heikki Kovalainen at Valencia in 2010, sat confused at the unknown after Jules Bianchi’s crash at Suzuka in 2014 and sat in the stands at Melbourne in 2016 in horror as Fernando Alonso’s McLaren dismantled around him at Albert Park.
But I was completely left speechless after witnessing the crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix in which somehow Romain Grosjean escaped with his life.
To see a Formula One car split in two, a massive fireball engulfing the main survival cell and a driver walk away with only small burns and a potential cracked rib is miraculous.
The images shown of Grosjean emerging from that fireball are some of the most extraordinary images you will ever see. For the millions of F1 fans around the world, the fact that we can sit here and talk about Romain in the present tense is just extraordinary.
It was something you would expect to see, and sadly did see, 40 years ago, when at that stage a driver had no chance of surviving a crash like that.
Thankfully for Romain, modern F1 standards are so high that he was able to come away from this. And also, it seems that once and for all, the debate around the halo is over. That was undoubtedly what saved his life.
A fire is pictured following the crash of Romain Grosjean of France and Haas F1 during the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on November 29, 2020 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
The incident left a bit of a stain on the race, a race that was maybe one of, if not the most boring race of the season. But at the end of the day I think I speak for the majority of F1 fans when I say who cares, because all we care about is the fact that we witnessed a miracle today and that miracle is that Romain Grosjean is still alive.
Perez, Albon and the continued unfairness of F1
It’s an odd thing to call F1 ‘unfair’. Let’s be honest, all sport is unfair. Life is unfair. It’s the way of the world. But it’s unfair to say that a driver such as Sergio Perez will be without a job in 2021.
At the time of writing this, the big whisper going around is that Red Bull is set to announce Alex Albon as continuing on with the team in 2021. Perez came out during the weekend and said that if he wasn’t able to land the Red Bull seat, he would take a sabbatical from the sport with no other options available to him.
This would make it two years in a row in which a highly talented and capable driver is without a job in F1 for the following year. And we’ll get to that other driver in my next point shortly.
Now of course, may are set to argue that Albon did well this weekend by securing a podium. And he did drive well. He qualified fourth and maintained that for the majority of the race. However for the second time this season it was down to a Racing Point failure that allowed him to secure a podium.
Granted, he had two podiums taken away from him in the last 12 months due to an over-exuberant Lewis Hamilton, so you might argue it’s karma making things right.
And perhaps it is. However on both occasions of his podium, Albon wasn’t really challenging for those positions, positions he should be challenging for every single weekend with that car behind him. The fact it was Red Bull’s first double podium in three years speaks volumes for the troubles they’ve been having in that second seat.
Perez not being on the grid next year will be a travesty. He has improved significantly in the years since he had his first shot at a big team back in 2013, and he is arguably the most consistent mid-field driver around and one who deserves to be back in a top team.
I couldn’t imagine him being in that Mercedes next to Lewis Hamilton he would be doing a worse job than Valtteri Bottas at the moment, and I’m a Bottas fan. I feel for the guy and feel he has had some wretched bad luck in 2020.
However if I had to rate Bottas against Perez, that’s a tricky conversation to have.
I want to be wrong on Albon. Despite my negativity on the kid this year, I like him. I’m a fan of his personality as he seems almost the complete opposite of what an F1 driver should be. Almost like Charles Leclerc in the fact that he is just a shy kid who happens to be on the biggest stage in motorsports.
Somebody who isn’t afraid to admit their faults and be honest about what happens out there and also have some fun. So with all of that, I want to be here in 12 months’ time typing how I was wrong about him and that I’m happy to see him be a success in that Red Bull. For now though, he’s not there.
Perez is. And to me that’s what needs to happen. Sadly, it doesn’t seem likely.
And on the note of drivers who should be in the sport and were replaced with somebody who perhaps shouldn’t be…
Esteban Slow-con 2.0
Back in July in my first talking point of the season after the Austrian Grand Prix, I called out Esteban Ocon for being well off the pace.
I’ve remained silent on the Frenchman since, willing to give him a shot to see him improve.
Well, here we are with only two races remaining and nothing has changed. And it’s baffling to me to see him escape the criticism that say Albon is getting, or even my beloved Lance Stroll.
When Ocon found himself without a drive at the end of 2018 there was outcry. People were bemoaning the loss of a huge talent and people seemingly counted down the days until he got a sit back on the grid for 2020. That opportunity came with Renault, and the extremely reliable and talented Nico Hulkenberg got the flick.
And yet, we sit here now with Ocon languishing in 12th place in the championship on 42 points, 60 points and 2 podiums behind Daniel Ricciardo who looks set to finish an impressive fourth in the standings.
Daniel Ricciardo. (Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images)
Of course the argument can easily be made that Ricciardo is a much more complete and talented driver than Ocon and is punching above his weight in that car, but Ocon is somebody who is extremely highly rated and let’s be honest, he has done nothing in 2020.
Next year will surely be a breaker for Esteban. With Fernando Alonso joining the team it’ll be fascinating to see how he handles going up against the pressure cooker that is being in a team with the Spaniard.
Alonso doesn’t create the best team environment wherever he lands, so to have that change around him next year in a newly branded team will be interesting to watch. I’m no Alonso fan in the slightest, but I can’t not see him wiping the floor with Ocon based on what has been seen this year.
The F2 battle is where all the excitement is at
I for one will be glued to my screen as always next weekend for the next race, particularly given it’s going to be at a ‘new’ circuit with the fast outer layout of the Sakhir circuit set to produce laps below 60 seconds.
However my main attention will be focussed on the battle for the F2 crown, particularly around a certain Mick Schumacher.
With only two races remaining, Mick leads Callum Ilott by 14 points. Coming into the weekend just gone, he had a lead of 22 points.
While that seems like he lost out, Mick drove two pretty solid races to maintain a points gap of Ilott, especially after Ilott secured pole on Friday for the feature race and Mick only qualified 10th. So what looked likely to be a bad weekend for Schumacher turned into a pretty solid result.
It looks all but certain Schumacher will be on the grid next year for Haas in F1, which will bring with it all levels of excitement. There is even a chance he might get offered the seat early for this weekend’s F1 race given the chances of Grosjean racing look slim. But I think Mick would prioritise his chance to win the F2 title over going for an early F1 debut, given the current situation.
I’ll be keeping all fingers and toes crossed that another M Schumacher will be crowned champion once again this weekend.
A flipping bad time for Canada
Two weeks ago, it was a celebration for Lance Stroll and that magical pole position. This week he ends up upside down and out of the race before a lap was completed. How things can change. However, it has to be said things were actually looking good this weekend for Lance, he just had some pretty bad luck.
His practice pace was solid, maintaining top tens throughout the weekend before finishing Q1 in second place. It was looking very good for him for another high qualifying spot.
However for the second consecutive race, Racing Point made an error in the pits, fitting a set of used mediums to his car instead of fresh softs, compromising his Q2 lap and he ended up starting in 13th.
Another incredible Lance Stroll start was abound though on the first start before being punted off in a racing incident by future teammate Sebastian Vettel.
Lance Stroll (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)
The second start saw him start this time from 12th, where he had a full lap battle with Carlos Sainz, losing track position before an over eager torpedo move from the torpedo himself Daniil Kvyat sent him flipping over onto his roof and it was race over.
While no doubt the talk once again goes back to his talent and his DNF, it’s important to talk about the positives he had across the weekend and that a bit of bad luck really overshadowed another solid and strong performance by the Canadian.
And on that note, the other Canadian in Mr Nicholas Latifi had a fairly Nicholas Latifi weekend. Qualified last, made some places up during the race, even had a bit of a battle with a Mercedes (hello Mr Bottas) and finished in 14th place, with 3 cars behind him. That in itself was a win for him.
With all of that to digest it’s time to take a couple of breaths and regroup for the next race in less than a week. As always, bring it on.
Ben Waterworth
Roar Guru
A lot. Definitely
Dexter The Hamster
Roar Rookie
How much does having Toto as his manager influence his race seats? Probably has to help him greatly.
Ben Waterworth
Roar Guru
Verstappen set the standard of younger drivers coming in. You have a 17-year-old coming in and everybody loses it and thinks that's the way. That's something about Stroll nobody remembers. He was 18 when he made his debut. The second youngest in history. And people expected another Verstappen but as much as I love Lance, he ain't no Verstappen. So that sort of made it so youth becomes more of a factor. I remember in 1998 when Esteban Tuero made his debut at just a smidge under 20 and people lost their minds at how young he was. And Jenson Button in 2000. Then Kimi in 2001. And these guys were 20 and 21. Now that almost seems too old! Remember Webber was 25 when he made his debut and Alan McNish was 33, both in 2002! Could you imagine a driver that old making their debut now? Would be unheard of. That's why it's just fascinating the age scenario in F1 now. It has it's ups and downs. And similar to what I said about Albon, I want to be wrong about Ocon. I always am open to being proven wrong. But I just don't see it. Never have. I honestly thought Pascal Wehrlein was a far far better talent back in their Manor days, but somehow he got overlooked instead for Ocon. But hey, that's probably why I'm not an F1 team owner eh?
Ben Waterworth
Roar Guru
The early 2010s was definitely an interesting era for potential Ferrari drivers. I think ultimately Kubica was the domino there that made all that happen. He would've surely been in a Ferrari had he not had his accident, and then you would wonder if Alonso would've stuck around had Kubica got the better of him. Webber too was very close to signing but didn't, and it wasn't until Massa finally got dick of them and left that things finally changed a bit. Still dreaming of that day when an Aussie finally ends up in red. It's a weird 'could've been' story with Jones, Webber and Ricciardo all so close but just so far away from it.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Agreed regarding Albon. Getting the podium place is misleading as he just picked up the scraps of the Checo RP's reliability. Not good enough for me.
Nick
Roar Guru
All good. I think like all drivers, he's best when out in front. But, when in the pack, he's worst than most.
Dexter The Hamster
Roar Rookie
Ben, there was a period there where I genuinely thought RG would end up in a Ferrari. He was quick in that Lotus/Renault, and I thought the opportunity might come his way. Maybe one too many incidents (as Spruce has alluded to) cost him that seat. We'll never know.
Dexter The Hamster
Roar Rookie
Spruce I wasn't trying to put words in your mouth there, but you were tip toeing around it a bit. Maybe I extrapolated a bit too far..... I feel Romain is a very good driver, who has ended up in a poor team, and fights for every position on the track as if his career depends upon it. Maybe he takes a risk, but I like that. Its a bit of a dog-eat-dog world in the back half of the grid. In any case, I'm sure his wife will be making the same case you are.
Dexter The Hamster
Roar Rookie
Yes, that was a bit of rambling, but I love it!!! :laughing: I haven't checked the stats, but I thought Ocon performed pretty well against Perez in the Racing Point (or whatever it was called back then...) and he is now being pitted against Danny Ric, who most pundits are claiming is one the top drivers on the grid. In saying that, I would much prefer that Checo and the Hulk are on the grid, much more deserving for sure. Just feel that Ocon still has a chance to shine if he is good enough. Gasly is an interesting one. For me it wasn't just the results, or lack thereof, in the RB, it was his demeanour. He looked a wreck and out of place in a top team with all the pressure. I'm sure he will be back. Albon and Ocon still seem to be handling that pretty well. At this point anyway...... And yes, RB are cruel. And it is hurting them now in my opinion. Would love to see some stats on the average age of drivers coming into F1 during the different eras. Maybe its just anecdotal, but really feels like a lot more younger drivers about, and in the bigger teams as well. Sorry for the rambling....
Chris Love
Guest
Spruce, Couldn’t have said it better myself. He reminds me of a late MotoGP rider who had a similar penchant for dangerous driving that found himself and others off two wheels far more often than you can account for in “racing incidents”. There’s been plenty of times Roman has been at fault for collisions and run-offs. The guy just has bad judgement or is outright reckless.
Ben Waterworth
Roar Guru
Hmmm Magnussen I don't necessarily agree with. I think Kevin is just a balls to the wall racer who doesn't give a rats about how he races. I actually like his style and attitude. It's easy why he gets under the skin of other drivers but it's real old school and I like it.
Nick
Roar Guru
Yes I saw that interview. I was always wondering why I wasn't picked for F1, now I realise it was cause I was born between 87-89. Dang. Frankly, it always scared me that Grosjean, Maldonado and Magnussen were shuffling positions amongst themselves. All 3 were/are incredibly accident prone.
Ben Waterworth
Roar Guru
Romain is an interesting one. He definitely has a reputation that's for sure and alongside a certain great Venezuelan, has that distinction of being that Andrea de Cesaris of the modern era. But I will say that Romain had a period there where he was overlooked as a shining talent. That 2012-13 period when he was constantly on the podium was widely overlooked in my eyes and really should've caught more teams eye. Romain actually did an interview recently saying that a few drivers around the early 2010s were overlooked because there weren't any opportunities for them which I have to say I agree with him. He mentioned other drivers like Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg who say had of gotten a start today or a few years earlier might've been in a better team or position. But that's sport right? Look at tennis, and how many greats we will never see when you have the Federers and Williams dominating the game. It's how it happens. Perhaps Romain will end up in the F1 rejects series aka Formula E shortly. At least there won't be a fuel tank to explode and risk his life that way.
Ben Waterworth
Roar Guru
Completely agree with you on all levels on all your points. My point though I will say with Ocon is that he isn't a young driver fresh out of F2. This is his third full season in F1, his fourth if you include his near half a season back in 2016. He is somebody who many people touted as the next big thing and bemoaned his absence when he lost his seat in 2019. Yet, to me, he has proved nothing to show this shine he has about him and this season he has routinely been put in his place and is basically at the level I feel he has always been at. And when you have drivers such as Perez and Hulkenberg sitting on the sidelines, I think it's just a travesty. In regards to Albon, yes. Again, agree. I do hope I'm wrong. But I think he gets a lot of free passes based on his likeability too, when you look at Gasly, who at the time I was one of those people who agreed he should've been dumped. But look at him, he has flourished. I was on the page that Kvyat should've gotten the gig at Red Bull, not Albon, as I think Dan had a very underrated 2019 and proved he was somewhat decent in that Red Bull when he was in the team. I firmly believe it was harsh he got dumped so quickly, which in hindsight is stupid to say because of course that lead to the enigma that is Verstappen so it was the right call, but Kvyat has always been a tad underrated in my eyes and I think he would've done RB much better service than Albon. Put Alex back in AT next year and make him work for it just like Pierre has. And if that is in another direction than Red Bull, so be it. It's worked for Carlos, and he's about to become a Ferrari driver. Red Bull is a cruel cruel team and is very harsh on their drivers. Look at the likes of someone like Jean-Eric Vergne. A supreme talent who was on par, if not slightly better than Danny Ric at TR. He got scrapped and has flourished in Formula E. Anyways, I'm totally rambling, the point is I agree with your comments but wanted to clarify my point on Ocon! Always appreciate your comments!
Nick
Roar Guru
Careful, don't put words in my mouth. I never suggested that he had this particular crash coming. This was off the scale. I'm merely saying that when you are involved in the amount of collisions Grosjean is involved then, then the likelihood of something serious is more likely. And he is an accident prone driver and makes mistakes. To say he isn't would be outright denial. The type of collision he found himself before hitting the wall in is one he frequently makes. Sometimes it's just a spin and carry on, other times it leads to a retirement, and on Sunday it nearly took his life. He's got 3 young kids, and he's earned squillions. He should be taking this a sign and walking away from the sport.
Dexter The Hamster
Roar Rookie
Come on Spruce. To suggest he had it coming is a tad harsh. Lets not forget he is an excellent driver, with a great track record at lower levels, and was on podiums in the early days of F1 when he had a competitive car. I certainly hope he finds something else to do, I'm sure he has many successes still to come in his career, either in Europe or the US.
Dexter The Hamster
Roar Rookie
Thanks Ben. Its actually hard to remember much about the race to be honest. That horrible feeling in the pit of the stomach when I saw the car explode didn't really go away, even after I saw RG walk out of it. Horrifying stuff. Just a quick point on Ocon/Albon. I just can't help but feel we judge these guys too quickly. It certainly feels as if our young guns from F2 get promoted to F1 quite quickly these days. It wasn't that long ago that Kvyat was the youngest F1 driver ever, now he has a bunch of younger blokes out there on the grid with him. Mick S will be 21 when he races for Haas next year. I feel if a team wants to promote a youngster, they have to understand they are still learning, and give them the time to develop into the complete package. Kicking them out the door at 23 is harsh. Anyway, I feel both Ocon and Albon have the talent, and I hope they get the chance to show it.
Nick
Roar Guru
I'm really really hoping Grosjean retires. I hate to say it, but this was an accident in the making for him - albeit I freely concede not even in my most surreal visions would I imagine a crash like that. How horrifying. The bottom line is though that Grosjean is prone to collisions and crashes and "the big one" was just around the corner. We rightly rejoice he is alive. Now go and celebrate the gift of life with family and away from cars.