Grosjean survives fiery crash at start of Bahrain GP!

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Romain Grosjean can consider himself lucky to have survived a massive and fiery crash at the start of Sunday's Bahrain GP.

The Haas driver was jockeying for position along with his rivals in the lower part of the field when he veered right on the exit of Sakhir's Turn 3 and clipped the left front of Daniil Kvyat's AlphaTauri.

The impact with the barrier split the Haas' chassis from its rear-end while a massive blaze erupted.

Miraculously, Grosjean managed to extract himself from the remains of the destroyed Haas and jump out of harm's way. The medical team was swiftly on site to tend to the Frenchman who appeared slightly injured but relatively unscathed.

A replay showed exactly how lucky Grosjean had been, with footage of the Haas violently plowing through the barrier.

Haas has confirmed Grosjean is OK: "Romain has some minor burns on his hands and ankles but otherwise he is OK. He is with the doctors just now.”

A 45-minute delay - at the very least - until a probable restart of the race was expected as circuit workers repaired the damaged barriers.

Grosjean surviving the fireball is a miracle in itself but the 34-year-old will also have the Haas' halo cockpit safety device to thank for protecting him as the broken off survival pierced and parted the barriers.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.