Romain Grosjean can once again thank the safety features of the race car he was driving for saving him from serious injury. During Tuesday’s practice for the Indianapolis 500, Grosjean had to make an emergency pit stop after hitting a bird at 230 mph.
This is at least the second time in Romain Grosjean’s racing career that the bars installed around a driver’s head on an open cockpit race car have protected him. During the first lap of the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in 2020, Grosjean’s Formula 1 car erupted into flames after penetrating a metal crash barrier. While he suffered second-degree burns, he said the halo device saved his life.
This time, the aeroscreen on an IndyCar saved him from possibly being hit in the face by a stray bird.
The F1 halo system, which provides structural protection around the driver’s head, was implemented in 2018. Aeroscreens were officially introduced and installed on IndyCars at the start of the 2020 season. Prior to that, both incidents could have been catastrophic for Romain Grosjean.
Romain Grosjean is somehow both lucky and at the same time unlucky
“Well, that’s not fun,” the narrator of a video of Grosjean in the pits after hitting a bird said while showing the damage to the car. “Our man, Romain Grosjean, uhh, they’re cleaning the car because of a bird strike.
“And, uhhh, oh you poor guy,” he said as he walked over to Grosjean, who was wiping off his helmet on the pit wall.
“A bit of blood here,” the IndyCar driver said, pointing to a spot on his helmet.
“Why are you killing birds, Grosjean?” the video’s cameraman asked. “That’s what I need to know. I thought you were a nice guy.”
“Why is the bird flying over the race track?” Grosjean replied with a grin. “That’s the question.”
“Well, alright, fair point, I might have missed that one,” the cameraman responded. “But, yeah, unfortunately, we have our first casualty, and they’re having to clean inside the car because little bits of birdie got into the vent. So, anyway, luckily everyone’s okay. Except for the bird, I guess.
“It’s a very Grosjean thing to have happen.”