Witness Grosjean’s burnt out chassis on display at The Formula 1® Exhibition London until 2nd March 2025
On 29th November 2020 at the Formula 1® Bahrain Grand Prix, Romain Grosjean hit the wall at almost 120 miles-per-hour during his opening lap. He and the car instantly became engulfed with flames, before Grosjean emerged from the blaze largely unscathed in a remarkable testament to Formula 1®’s advancements in state-of-the-art safety measures.
The Formula 1® Exhibition London showcases the charred remains of Romain Grosjean’s Haas VF-20 on the anniversary of one of the most dramatic crashes in F1 history.
Now four years on Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team and at the time of the crash, Chief Race Engineer, shares his thoughts on seeing the burnt-out chassis for the first time at The Formula 1® Exhibition:
“All the memories came back, lots of mixed emotions. Looking at the screen, the initial feeling of horror, feeling of eternity while waiting to find out if Romain got out of the car or not. Looking at the chassis, the smell it had when the car came back to the garage. Still the feeling of disbelief that someone can come out alive from that chassis.
“Romain and his family are our family friends. It was the first time for my kids and wife to see the chassis. I was able to explain, looking at the chassis, about his escape, how he did everything right and never gave up not just for himself, but for his family.”
Reflecting back on the crash in his interview with The Formula 1® Exhibition team, Romain Grosjean said:
“From my point of view, it was a big accident but I didn’t realise the impact or how violent it was from the outside.
“It was only the next day when I asked someone to show me what it looked like that I realised. My wife was actually watching that race with my dad and my kids. They will remember that moment their entire life. They were just spectators waiting to hear something… waiting to see something from Bahrain.
“I had to break the headrest, punching it with my helmet and then I eventually managed to get my helmet through and stand up in the seat. I realised my left foot was stuck into the chassis and I pulled as hard as I could on my left leg. My shoe stayed in the chassis but my foot came loose so I was free to exit the car.
“It was 120 kilos of fuel plus the battery – both were on fire. Dr Jan Roberts, Alan from the medical car and one fireman were trying to open a gap in the fire to help me get out. I believe that helped me at least to get a vision of where I had to go and where the exit was.
“The survival cell is there for you in case of a huge impact. I was intact inside the shell. The chassis is still in one piece, the halo is there and apart from the damage and burn it is still as it should be. I guess that saved my life.”
Hosted within a purpose-built room titled ‘Survival’ at The Formula 1® Exhibition, the chassis is accompanied by a large video installation showing previously unseen footage of the crash, where Romain shares his personal recollection of the harrowing incident. The room is one of six unique experiences, each specially designed in collaboration with award-winning curators, artists and filmmakers to offer a stunning adventure through the world of Formula 1®. These rooms include Once Upon A Time In Formula 1®, Design Lab, Drivers & Duels, Revolution by Design, Survival and The Pit Wall.
Ticket prices start from £14 for children (ages 5-16) and £25 for adults (17+). Group bookings and special VIP Podium tickets are also available, as well as opportunities for exclusive corporate events.
f1exhibition.com/london
