Video
WATCH: Look inside Formula 1’s life-saving Medical Car
Share
When watching Formula 1, you might have found yourself wondering why there’s fairly standard looking family estate car trundling around behind the pack at the start of a race. However, the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix brought home just how crucial the FIA Medical Car’s role is in the sport.
It was that car, driven by Alan van der Merwe and with the FIA’s Medical Rescue Coordinator Dr Ian Roberts riding alongside, that was on the scene in seconds after Romain Grosjean’s Haas VF-20 ploughed terrifyingly through the Armco barriers at the Bahrain International Circuit, before erupting in flames.
READ MORE: Grosjean posts image of injured hands after having dressings removed for the final time
However, thanks to the quick work of van der Merwe, Dr Roberts and the local marshals, Grosjean was able to be pulled to safety, suffering only burns to his hands, with the Frenchman continuing to recover at home in Switzerland.
Enjoy the video above as Alan van der Merwe and Dr Ian Roberts talk Formula 1’s Will Buxton around the Medical Car, give their recollections of Grosjean’s accident, and also explore the history of Formula 1’s push for safety, spearheaded by the legendary Professor Sid Watkins.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
FeatureF1 Unlocked ‘We want to be fresh, bold and new’ – Cadillac chiefs on their plans for F1, and the drivers on their shortlist
Podcast BEYOND THE GRID: Claire Williams on life at her family’s F1 team and what she thinks of their recent charge up the order
FeatureF1 Unlocked PALMER: Why isn't it clicking yet for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari this year?
News O’Ward to make latest FP1 appearance for McLaren at Mexico City Grand Prix
