F1: Having cheated death, Romain Grosjean back in car again

Romain Grosjean sat in a Haas Formula One car on Saturday for the first time since escaping from a fiery crash with just burns to his hands.

Just six days after the 34-year-old Frenchman extricated himself from the blaze that engulfed him on the opening lap of last Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix, he was back in the paddock.

"Amazing to see Romain sat back in the car this afternoon," Haas F1 team wrote on Twitter.

Screenshot from Haas F1 Team Twitter

Grosjean's car split in half in a 245 kph impact with the barriers in one of the most dramatic incidents in the recent history of Formula One.

F1 drivers are competing in Bahrain for the second week in a row with the Sakhir Grand Prix to take place in the kingdom on Sunday.

Valtteri Bottas pipped stand-in Mercedes team-mate George Russell to take pole position with already-crowned world champion Lewis Hamilton sitting out the race after testing positive for COVID-19.

Firefighters put out the fire following Romain Grosjean's crash during the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain, November 29, 2020. /VCG

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said on Friday that Hamilton is struggling with the illness and is a doubt for next week's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

"He is not great," said Wolff, "…COVID-19 is something you mustn't take lightly and he is in safe hands. That is the most important, but it is these early days that are not so nice."

(With input from agencies)