2020 Formula 1 Season Paddock

I think Hamilton will retire before another #1 driver joins Mercedes.

 

The next couple of races could prove/disprove this, it'll be interesting to see who Toto chooses to go in Hamiltons seat...

 

"It felt to me like it lasted much longer than 28 seconds.

"I saw that my whole visor was orange and there were flames to the left of the car. I was thinking about many things, particularly Niki Lauda [who suffered severe burns in an accident at the 1976 German GP], and I didn't want to end up like him.

"I said to myself, "My F1 career can't end like this. I told myself that I had to get out of there for my kids."

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/2...horrifying-bahrain-gp-accident-and-his-escape

 

I just read that , pretty scary

 

It's too bad this will be the highlight of his career.

 

the more times I watch that , the more I think he climbed out the side of the halo as the top seems to be pointing at the camera on this side of the barrier and he comes out from behind the barrier

 

Yes thats how it looks. The car to me went in front first and the momentum twisted it parallel with the guardrail and the driver rear tire hit the rail causing it to snap in half at the fuel bladder. To me, most of the drivers pod ended up on the other side of the guardrail leaving an opening for him to climb out of.

 

I don't think the helmet wouldn't fit through the gaps to the side...

I know some people are saying it's not a miracle, it's just safety features that have been implemented but I disagree. He's one lucky buggah... if the car was a few more inches closer to the barrier he wouldn't have been able to jimmy his way out.

 

Was there any confirmation on whether the fuel cell split? I know they were saying initially they believed it was a different component holding 2-3 litters of fuel but that was a hell of a lot of flames for less than a gallon of fuel.

 

It had to have ruptured, it's right behind the driver between the engine and driver.

 

l love that you can say that.

I’ve been down on him pretty hard for years. Today I see differently. For example his first year at Haas was really something.

 

Just updated the question with images...

 

Read somewhere that they think the force of the impact may have forced fuel back out through the filler tube rather than the bladder actually rupturing

 

That Haas went up in flames like a Pinto and then Checo's MGU causing another fire. That's the most fire I've seen in modern F1.

 

I think the halo saved his head.

 

You’re going soft

I am thankful he was relatively unharmed from the accident, but since his contract was ripped up he’s been moaning every time he’s in front of the camera... “the car is shit, I’m getting everything I can out of the car, I want to go faster than the car can go”.

It’d be so funny if Pietro shows both him and K-Mag up this weekend...

 

well no doubt

 

Russell get the nod to drive a Merc this weekend
https://www.racefans.net/2020/12/02...t-mercedes-aitken-handed-debut-with-williams/

 

I don't think that is possible but this picture appears to show that being the only way out if this is how the car was oriented when he exited. More likely there is more space between the cockpit and the Armco than there appears to be.

 

The wreckage likely ‘settled’ to a slightly different position after he snaked his way out to what you see here.

Either way, a few inches here, a few more seconds there and it could have very easily been a different outcome.