Zhou Guanyu, a Chinese driver, said that Formula One’s halo protection system saved him when his car got stuck between a tire wall at the British Grand Prix on Sunday.
After the multi-car collision on the opening lap, the race was stopped.
Zhou tweeted, “I’m OK. All clear,” after a visit to the medical center. “Halo saved me today. Thank you to everyone for your kind words.
In what was the most thrilling race of this season, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. won his first Formula One race. It started with a terrifying first lap crash, and ended in intense wheel-to-wheel competitions for the podium positions.
Sergio Perez from Red Bull came in second, while Lewis Hamilton, the home favourite, was third. The Mercedes team is improving.
Formula One introduced the titanium halo in 2018 to combat drivers’ resentment at the appearance of the protective ring surrounding what was previously a completely open cockpit.
Since then, it has been credited for saving many lives in serious accidents.
The Chinese rookie was quickly rescued by emergency crews who arrived on the scene. His car skidded along the track at high speed, before hitting gravel and flipping over the tire wall.
Photographs showed it lying on its back, with its head angled in the space between the barrier and the driver’s helmet.
The halo saved the driver from serious injury for the second time Sunday.
Roy Nissany was covered by it after Dennis Hauger’s car flew over the Israeli Formula Two driver and touched his halo.
Alexander Albon, Williams’ driver, was also involved in the grand prix carnage. He was flown by helicopter to Coventry for precautionary checks.
Mercedes’s George Russell got out his car in distress and ran to Zhou.
The Briton looked like it had been clipped from the back by AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly. The Mercedes’ tyre then made contact with the Alfa.
Russell said, “I was overwhelmed by cars, and the next thing I knew I got touched. I was in Zhou’s side and that was it.”
