Bahrain F1: Mechanic's Ordeal And Aftermath

During the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix, a Ferrari mechanic, Francesco Cigarini, suffered a double leg fracture after being hit by Kimi Raikkonen's car during a botched pit stop. Raikkonen was released from the pits too early, with only three of his tyres replaced, and collided with Cigarini, who was standing in front of the left rear wheel. Cigarini underwent successful surgery in Bahrain and later returned to work with Ferrari. The incident prompted Ferrari and other teams to tighten up pit-stop safety procedures.

Francesco Cigarini suffered a double leg fracture

During the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2018, Ferrari mechanic Francesco Cigarini suffered a double leg fracture after being hit by Kimi Raikkonen's car during a pit stop. Raikkonen was released from the pits before all four of his tires were safely attached, and as he pulled away, he ran over Cigarini, who was standing in front of the rear tyre. The incident occurred due to sensor confusion, triggering an unsafe release of Raikkonen's car.

Cigarini sustained a fracture of the tibia and fibula in his left leg and was rushed to a hospital in Manama, Bahrain, where he underwent successful surgery. The surgery was performed by the best doctor in Bahrain, granted to Ferrari by the Bahraini authorities. Cigarini's recovery was assisted by the Ferrari team doctor and the FIA medical staff, who provided 24-hour care.

The incident had a significant impact on the race and its participants. Raikkonen was forced to retire from the race due to the incident, as it is forbidden to return to the track with tyres of different compounds. Ferrari was fined 50,000 euros by race officials and the FIA for the unsafe release, following another penalty for a similar incident during practice.

The aftermath of the incident saw an outpouring of support for Cigarini. Raikkonen expressed his regret, stating, "What happened to our guy Francesco today at the pit-stop is very unfortunate. I feel sorry for him and hope he's going to be OK soon." Sebastian Vettel, the Ferrari driver who went on to win the race, also acknowledged the incident, saying, "I'm a bit sad as I think in the pit-stop with Kimi, one of our mechanics got injured, so send him my best regards. It's a mixed day."

The impact of the incident extended beyond the race. Cigarini's injury highlighted the importance of pit-stop safety, leading many teams to tighten their procedures to prevent similar occurrences. Ferrari, in particular, conducted a review of their procedures together with the FIA to determine the cause of the incident and ensure it wouldn't happen again.

Cigarini's recovery process was a challenging but successful one. He received initial care in Bahrain before returning to his home in Italy to continue his recovery. By February 2019, Cigarini had returned to work with Ferrari ahead of Formula 1's pre-season testing, demonstrating his resilience and determination to overcome the injury.

Kimi Raikkonen was given the green light to leave the pit box

During the Bahrain Grand Prix, Kimi Raikkonen was given the green light to leave the pit box, despite only three of his tyres having been replaced. Raikkonen was in third place when he was brought into the pits to pressure Mercedes. However, a sensor problem caused a delay in removing the left-rear tyre. The wheel gun's setting was reversed, and the original wheel was secured back onto the car. This triggered one of the signals that the car was ready to leave, even though the left-rear crew was still working on changing the tyre.

As a result, when Raikkonen accelerated, he drove over Ferrari mechanic Francesco Cigarini, who was standing in front of the left-rear wheel. Cigarini suffered a double leg fracture and was rushed to the hospital for surgery. The incident also forced Raikkonen to retire from the race, as it is forbidden to return to the track with tyres of different compounds.

Ferrari was fined €50,000 by race officials for the unsafe release, and they conducted a review of the procedure along with the FIA to prevent a recurrence. Maurizio Arrivabene, the Ferrari team principal, attributed the mishandling of the rear left tyre to a combination of human, mechanical, and electronic errors. He emphasised that the team prioritised the safety of their crew and would ensure such an incident wouldn't happen again.

Ferrari fined €50,000 by the FIA

During the Bahrain Grand Prix, a Ferrari mechanic, Francesco Cigarini, suffered a double leg fracture after a botched pit stop. Kimi Raikkonen was released from the pits too early, with only three of his tyres replaced, and collided with Cigarini. As a result, Ferrari was fined €50,000 by the FIA for an unsafe release.

The incident occurred when there was a problem removing the left-rear tyre during Raikkonen's second pit stop. This delayed Cigarini from fitting a new tyre, and he was standing in front of the wheel when Raikkonen was given the green light to leave. As a result, Raikkonen's car hit Cigarini, causing him to sustain a fractured shinbone and fibula. Cigarini underwent successful surgery in a Bahraini hospital and later posted on Instagram, expressing gratitude for the support he received.

Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene revealed that the team conducted a review of the procedure, along with the FIA, to determine why Raikkonen was given the signal to leave the pits when the left-rear wheel had not been changed. Arrivabene attributed the error to a mishandling of the rear left tyre, which was not properly read by the electronic device that gave the green light. He assured that Ferrari would ensure such an incident would not happen again and that the team cared about their people's safety.

This fine by the FIA is not an isolated incident for Ferrari. In 2019, they were fined €50,000 for a fuel irregularity on Charles Leclerc's car during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Additionally, during the Singapore Grand Prix, Ferrari was penalised €5,000 for decreasing the tyre pressure of Leclerc's car during a pit stop, which violated regulations. These incidents highlight the importance of adhering to safety regulations in Formula One racing, with the FIA taking a proactive approach to ensure the well-being of all individuals involved.

Cigarini returns to work with Ferrari

During the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix, Ferrari mechanic Francesco Cigarini suffered a double leg fracture when he was run over by Kimi Raikkonen's car during a botched pit stop. Raikkonen had been given the signal to leave his pit stop when only three of his tyres had been replaced, and as he drove away, he ran over Cigarini, who was standing in front of the left rear tyre. The incident resulted in Cigarini sustaining a fracture of the tibia and fibula in his left leg and undergoing surgery in a Bahraini hospital. Raikkonen was forced to retire from the race due to the incident.

Following the incident, Ferrari was fined 50,000 euros by the FIA for an unsafe release, and the team conducted a review to determine the cause of the error. It was found that sensor confusion had triggered the early signal for Raikkonen to leave the pits, and Ferrari modified its sensor procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Cigarini returned to work with Ferrari ahead of Formula 1's pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona in 2019. He had moved to be part of Sebastian Vettel's crew after Raikkonen's departure to Alfa Romeo. Cigarini expressed his gratitude on Instagram, reflecting on his journey to recovery and his eagerness to achieve new milestones.

The incident brought attention to pit-stop safety, and many teams tightened their procedures to ensure the safety of their crew members. Cigarini's injury and subsequent recovery served as a reminder of the risks involved in Formula 1 racing and the importance of putting the well-being of personnel first.

Ferrari's race report concluded: "Out on the track, Bottas pursued Sebastian for 20 laps, but our driver never gave him room, even though his tyres were finished. That is Ferrari and that, Francesco, is for you. Hurry back."

Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene speaks about the incident

Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene has spoken about the incident at the Bahrain Grand Prix, which resulted in a mechanic suffering a broken leg. Arrivabene, who was team principal at the time, expressed regret that a person was injured and emphasised the team's commitment to reviewing the procedure to ensure it doesn't happen again.

He stated, "The team was hurt that a person was injured, so it was in our interest to review the overall procedure." Arrivabene explained that Ferrari has a comprehensive procedure in place for pit stops, involving human control, mechanical, and electronic components. In this case, a sensor confusion triggered the unsafe release of Kimi Raikkonen's car, which collided with mechanic Francesco Cigarini, resulting in Cigarini sustaining a fractured shinbone and fibula.

Arrivabene revealed that Ferrari conducted a joint investigation with the FIA to understand why the system gave Raikkonen the signal to go when the left-rear wheel had not been changed. He assured that Ferrari would make the necessary changes to prevent such incidents in the future, stating, "it's in our interest, because we care about our people before anything else."

Arrivabene also expressed gratitude to the medical staff involved in Cigarini's care, including the Ferrari team doctor, the FIA medical staff, and the Bahraini authorities who provided the best surgeon in the country to perform the surgery.

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