Bahrain Grand Prix 2020 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Lewis Hamilton won a dramatic and incident-filled Bahrain Grand Prix that will forever be remembered for Romain Grosjean's horrific crash and miraculous escape from a fireball. The race was halted on the opening lap when Grosjean's Haas split in two after hitting the barrier at Turn 3 at high speed, with the car erupting into flames. In shocking scenes broadcast worldwide, Grosjean spent nearly 30 seconds trapped in the burning wreckage before extracting himself and jumping over the barrier to safety. The halo device, which Grosjean had once criticized, undoubtedly saved his life, with the Frenchman escaping with burns to his hands and minor injuries.

After a lengthy delay to repair the barriers and allow marshals to process what they had witnessed, the race restarted with Hamilton controlling proceedings from the front. Max Verstappen finished second after setting the fastest lap, while Alex Albon secured third place for Red Bull to complete the podium. The race featured another dramatic incident when Lance Stroll's Racing Point flipped upside down following contact with Daniil Kvyat, though the Canadian escaped unharmed thanks to modern safety standards.

Hamilton's 11th victory of the season was overshadowed by the frightening reminder of Formula 1's inherent dangers. The images of Grosjean's car wedged in the barrier, split in half and engulfed in flames, shocked the motorsport world. His survival was attributed to decades of safety improvements - the halo device, the survival cell, fire-resistant overalls, and the rapid response of the medical team led by Dr. Ian Roberts and medical car driver Alan van der Merwe. The race served as both a celebration of modern F1 safety and a stark reminder that racing remains a dangerous pursuit.