Grosjean to stay in hospital for another night – but does want to race in Abu Dhabi, says Steiner

Romain Grosjean is keen to get back in the car in Abu Dhabi, says his Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner, following the Frenchman’s huge accident in last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

He will be replaced by reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi at this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix, but is focused on being back for the race at Yas Marina, which will be his final one with Haas, and for now at least, his last race in F1.

“Romain would like to do it [race in Abu Dhabi],” said Steiner on Tuesday. “I spoke to him yesterday about it. He wants to be in Abu Dhabi. I said ‘try to get better, we speak on Sunday or Monday and see if it’s doable’.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Pietro is here, Romain is here. We just need to see how he feels. It depends on his health."

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Grosjean has been receiving treatment for burns on the back of his hands at the BDF hospital in Bahrain. That is continuing into Tuesday, with doctors recommending he stays another night as a precaution.

“I just spoke with one of his guys, as he was with the doctor before and they did something with the burns, I don’t know exactly what,” added Steiner.

“He’ staying another night in the hospital, but it’s nothing to be preoccupied with. They just said it’s a safer environment I guess mostly because of the burns. They said we keep you here another night.

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“But everything is going good. His guy, just talked with him, told me the doctors are happy with him and the healing process is as they would have seen it coming. No set back or nothing.

“He just tries to get better to try and be in the car in Abu Dhabi. That is [what he is] saying. So I think that shows that he wants to keep on doing it.”

It was a big crash, the impact measuring 53G, with Steiner saying it took him 27 seconds to get out of the car. When asked if Grosjean remembers the crash, the Haas boss said: “He remembers how he wanted to get out, or how he got out, he explained that very well to me.

“What he asked me is ‘How did I end up there?’ and I said ‘You ran over Kvyat’s car, basically, you turned right and ran over his front wing, that turned you around and put you in the wall’.

“He said he didn’t see the car but I don’t want to put words in his mouth and say he doesn’t remember it, I think he doesn’t realise what he did. I wouldn’t say he lost any memory of it. The rest, I think it went so quickly he cannot remember it, you’ll have to ask him yourself to be honest what he remembers and what not.”

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