Haas seeks hefty compensation for Grosjean drain-cover crash

Haas has put a number on the damage caused by a loose drain cover in Sepang which pitched Romain Grosjean into the barriers at high speed.

The French driver hit the raised cover at Turn 12 which sliced a tyre on the Haas, sending car and driver off the track, fortunately with no physical consequences for Grosjean.

Given the extensive damage inflicted to its car, estimated at approximately $750,000, Haas has raised the issue of compensation with the FIA.

• Grosjean unhurt after scary FP2 crash in Malaysia

"Oh yeah absolutely, you have to, " Steiner said.

"It was completely out of our hands. I cannot say 'OK we now let three quarters of a million go because somebody forgot to weld something in', it's all good.

"We pay a fee to come here and it's like, guys [come on]...."

"We discuss it, they were very professional about it. They have insurance so let's see what we can do."

The consequences of the freak incident were not lost on some driver, with Lewis Hamilton bringing up the matter in the post-session drivers' briefing, and asking who would cover the costs. 

"For an incident like today, which was obviously not Romain's fault and not the team's fault—who pays for that damage? Obviously they don't have all the money in the world," Hamilton said.

FIA race director Charlie Whiting suggested the team would obviously address the issue of compensation with the organisers. 

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