Romain Grosjean has been reunited with the crash helmet which protected him when his car exploded in flames during a crash in 2020.

The former Formula 1 driver shared a picture of his charred Bell helmet on social media.

Grosjean was wearing the helmet when he tangled with rival Daniil Kvyat and speared head-first into a barrier on the first lap of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. The front of his Haas chassis prised the barrier apart while the rear half broke away, igniting a massive fire.

He was able to walk away from the crash after pulling himself out of the cockpit with enough force to remove one of his racing boots from around a trapped foot. He suffered burns to his hands which prevented him from participating in what would have been the final races of his career that year.

“Five years after November 29th 2020, I got reunited with my race helmet,” said Grosjean in a post on social media. He said his three children, aged twelve, ten and eight, had asked to be shown it.

“I didn’t know if I was ready to see it but my kids really wanted to understand how I was so well protected in the fire and what happened that night,” he explained. “I’ll forever be grateful to Bell and Alpinestars for protecting me so well in that moment.

“Life goes [on] and we forget, but that reminds me how much we should make the most of our lives every day.”

Last year Grosjean had his first run in an F1 car since the fateful crash. Haas gave him the opportunity to drive their 2023 chassis at Mugello in Italy.

After retiring from F1, Grosjean raced in IndyCar for four years and spent last season competing in sportscar racing in America.

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