Can you figure out what this extraordinary souvenir item is?
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It was one of the biggest sports stories of recent years, but is now COMPLETELY unrecognizable when first on display… So, can you find out what this remarkable memorabilia item is?
- The remains of a lifesaving team will be exhibited in Madrid
- It was invented to protect the athletes of this sport and that’s what it did three years ago.
- Were you able to identify the remarkable souvenir item from the images?
The remains of a lifesaving kit will be on display in Madrid for the first time next month.
The protective invention went into action three years ago, when fans witnessed one of the scariest moments in sports history.
Visitors to the new official exhibition, which will kick off in the Spanish capital in March before touring the world, will be able to see the remarkable souvenir item, now almost unrecognizable after seeing action in Bahrain.
The burned object, known as a halo, was instrumental in saving the life of former Formula One driver Romain Grosjean, whose car broke in two and burst into flames at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.
First installed by the FIA during the 2018 season, this halo safety device protected Grosjean when his Haas lost control and crashed into the barriers at 140mph, engulfing the Swiss-French driver in a terrifying ball of fire. .
A rescue team will be exhibited for the first time in Madrid next month
Visitors to the new Formula One exhibit will be able to view the remarkable memorabilia item.
The protective invention is called a halo and was used to save the life of Romain Grosjean in 2020
A close-up photograph at the Formula 1 Exhibition shows the interior of the burnt-out cockpit
Grosjean was very lucky to survive after the accident, which left him trapped in a burning car.
A new Formula One exhibition, starting in Madrid next month, will showcase the Haas chassis and demonstrate just how important the halo has been since its introduction to the sport.
Grosjean was trapped in the burning car for several seconds but, incredibly, was able to climb over the barrier to safety with the help of a medic.
Hours later, from his hospital bed, the driver assured fans that he was “more or less fine” and thanked the protective device for saving his life in the initial crash.
‘Hi everyone, just wanted to say I’m fine. Well, more or less fine.
“Thank you so much for all the messages,” he said in the message.
“I wasn’t in favor of the (invention of the) halo a few years ago, but I think it’s the best thing we’ve brought to Formula One, and without it I couldn’t talk to you today.”
‘Thanks to all the medical staff of the circuit, of the hospital.
“Hopefully I can write you some messages very soon and tell you how everything is going.”
Former world champion Damon Hill, who was a teammate of Ayrton Senna when the Brazilian was killed in a crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, later admitted that Grosjean’s survival was a “miracle”.
His car crashed into the barriers and exploded in a terrifying ball of fire at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Grosjean insisted that the halo saved his life after he miraculously escaped from the rubble.
Grosjean driving his Haas car at the Eifel Grand Prix, just a month before his horrible accident
The driver of the medical car in Bahrain, Alan van der Merwe, said: “Big surprise for us, we have never seen so much fire in 12 years, and an impact like that.”
“We took a little bit of time to process what was going on, and then Romain got out of the car, which was pretty amazing.
“This shows that all the systems we’ve developed, everything worked, like the halo, the seat belt and the barriers.”
Next month’s exhibition, which begins on March 24 at IFEMA Madrid, will also showcase educational and engineering exhibits, a variety of archived film and photography, and a collection of historic Formula One cars.