Charles Leclerc says he feared Romain Grosjean was lifeless following the Frenchman’s fiery crash in Bahrain.

Grosjean spent three nights within the hospital earlier than being discharged on Wednesday morning after receiving therapy for burns on each arms

Leclerc, talking with BBC Sport, stated: “I noticed the crash in my mirrors, was conscious immediately that it was extraordinarily critical and I assumed the worst immediately.”

“Sadly, there was no information till I obtained again into the pits and obtained out of the automotive to lastly know he was out, which I could not actually imagine, particularly as a result of coming into Flip 9, I noticed the flames and the fireplace.”

Leclerc has handled loads of private tragedy. Jules Bianchi, who suffered deadly head accidents in a crash within the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, was godfather.

In the meantime, simply final 12 months, Antoine Hubert who was killed in a Components 2 crash finally 12 months’s Belgian Grand Prix, was a childhood buddy of Leclerc.

Leclerc stated within the hour earlier than the re-start in Bahrain on Sunday he tried to place the incident out of his thoughts by specializing in the race forward.

“I simply put myself in my bubble as I at all times do and tried to focus by myself factor,” the 22-year-old stated. “There are lots of issues you’ll want to bear in mind earlier than an F1 race, which is the technique, the way you need to assault within the first laps and all these items.

“I used to be simply specializing in these issues to realize the perfect outcome, making an attempt to not take into consideration the crash any extra, principally as a result of I knew Romain was out of the automotive and superb to the extent he might stroll by himself to the ambulance.

On Thursday, Grosjean returned to the paddock and is hoping to make a restoration in time to participate on the remaining spherical of the 2020 season in Abu Dhabi subsequent week, which can also be more likely to be his final in F1.

Leclerc continued: “I despatched him two messages. The primary one, I do not assume he noticed it as a result of most likely he acquired hundreds of messages and the second he replied, most likely as a result of he might write once more, as I’ve seen on social media that they took off his bandages.

“He was capable of textual content once more and I used to be joyful and he appears to do superb. I did not go to see him on the hospital as a result of I anticipated plenty of folks there and I did not need to hassle him.”