While Romain Grosjean had an enormous accident in Bahrain in 2020, experiencing a momentary force of 53G, which is 53 times the weight of his body. Today, during qualifying, it wasn’t a guardrail that Franco Colapinto crashed into, but a concrete wall. Fortunately for him, the safety barriers moved.
It takes strength to move a concrete block weighing several tons, connected together, and yet, that’s what happened during the qualifying rounds and the crash of Franco Colapinto’s Williams in Las Vegas. The young Argentine driver experienced a momentary force of 50G at the time of impact. This force moved the concrete barriers several tens of centimeters.
Williams has issued a statement indicating that Franco Colapinto will have to undergo further medical tests. « Franco underwent a massive impact of over 50G, requiring medical examinations. Such a significant impact can lead to many damages to the body, and he will be examined tomorrow. Franco’s health is what matters, and we are happy that he is OK. We will provide additional information later, when possible. »
James Vowles stated that Colapinto had returned from the medical center and is now resting at his hotel. He, however, emphasized that a human life is worth more than material damage: Carbon fiber can be repaired, metal and cars can be redone, but lives and health cannot.
Repair the single-seater.
Williams has suffered significant damages recently and, on the other side of the world, it is difficult to bring enough spare parts while the F1 is launched in a final sprint of three consecutive races. The damages suffered by Williams in Brazil, two weeks ago, are estimated at over 2 million euros.
The question that arises is not only about the quantity of spare parts available, but also about the possibility of financing them, with teams having to comply with an annual maximum budget.
James Vowles stated that the car will be repaired overnight. The car behind us is being repaired, the chassis will be replaced, and we will make sure it is ready for tomorrow if Franco can drive.
