Romain Grosjean ruled out of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as recovery from crash continues

Pietro Fittipaldi will replace the Frenchman again for Haas at the F1 season finale

Romain Grosjean will not compete at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next weekend, Haas have revealed.

Grosjean survived a horror crash on the opening lap of last weekend’s Bahrain GP, escaping with burns to his hands.

The Frenchman hit the barrier at approximately 140mph, causing his car to burst into flames. Grosjean escaped the wreckage and was transported to hospital, and it was later confirmed that he would miss today’s race in Sakhir.

Pietro Fittipaldi was named as Grosjean’s replacement for the Sakhir race, and the Brazilian will also replace the Frenchman at next weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi, it has been confirmed.

READ MORE: How to watch the F1 Sakhir Grand Prix

Speaking earlier this week, Grosjean said of the crash: “When the car came to a stop, I opened my eyes and I undid my seatbelt straight away.

“It felt like something was touching my head, so I sat back down in the car and my first thought was to wait. I thought I was upside down against a wall and someone would come to help me.

“I wasn’t even stressed, but then obviously I was not aware at the time there was a fire. I looked right, I looked left and I saw fire. I thought, I don’t really have the time to wait here.

“I tried to go up a bit more on the right, and it didn’t work. I try on the left and it doesn’t work. I sat back down and thought about Niki Lauda's accident [at the Nurburgring in 1976] and that it couldn’t end like this.

GALLERY: Grosjean’s horror crash in pictures

“But I tried again and I was still stuck. Then there is the less pleasant moment where my body starts to relax. I am in peace with myself and I am going to die.

“I thought which part is going to burn first? Is it the foot? Is it the hands? Is it going to be painful? It was a very, very strange feeling. Sometimes we are close to death, we are a bit scared. This time, death was here for me.”

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