Romain Grosjean is returning to Switzerland to treat burns suffered during his crash at the Bahrain GP last Sunday and will therefore be forfeited for the Abu Dhabi GP on December 13, which was to be his last in F1, his Haas team announced on Sunday.
“We tried everything, we waited as much as possible, but for the rest of my life, for my left hand, we have to be careful,” explains the French driver in a video on Instagram.
It's a “tough decision, I didn't think I would end my F1 career like this, but I think it's for the best”.
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Romain Grosjean on his crash: "I see death, not very close, too close"
The fire in Romain Grosjean's car.
Just after the start of the race, Grosjean's single-seater, which had left the track because of a collision, was cut in two and caught fire after being embedded at 220 km / h in a safety barrier.
The 34-year-old driver pulled himself out of his F1 28 seconds after the crash and pulled away from the blaze aided by the staff of the Grand Prix medical car, assisted by fire safety marshals.
In addition to hand burns, the most serious to his left hand, the former Renault and Lotus, who is completing his fifth season at Haas, only suffered from a sprained left ankle, no doubt thanks in large part to halo protection.
The uncertainty surrounding the condition of his left hand, still covered in bandages this weekend, appeared to be the main obstacle as he returned to driving in Abu Dhabi.
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Romain Grosjean visiting the circuit where he was the victim of his crash.
"I will go home with Marion (his wife) to see my children and then work on the future to rediscover the pleasure of winning races as quickly as possible and recover all the functions of my left hand," said Grosjean. in his video posted on Instagram.
A future in Endurane or IndyCar?
Participation in the American IndyCar Championship or the WEC World Endurance Championship are among the avenues envisaged by the Frenchman.
"Huge thank you to everyone for all your messages, it warmed my heart", said the native of Geneva about the very strong support received since his accident.
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For the Sakhir GP, which takes place on Sunday on a modified version of the Bahrain GP circuit, Grosjean has been replaced at Haas by the Brazilian Pietro Fittipaldi.
The freelance of the grandson of double F1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi should a priori be extended to the Abu Dhabi GP.
Next season, the American team Haas will field two new drivers: the German Mick Schumacher and the Russian Nikita Mazepin.
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Romain Grosjean miraculous: the images of the crash in Bahrain
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