"Miracle": Formerly hated component saves the life of a Formula 1 driver in "Horror-Salto".

Created: 04/07/2022, 16:50

By: Marius Epp

Guanyu Zhou had a guardian angel named Halo at the Formula 1 race at Silverstone.

The Chinese survived his horror crash unscathed.

Silverstone - Seven kilograms of titanium have an effect: Without the "Halo" cockpit protection, Guanyu Zhou would probably no longer be alive.

The Alfa Romeo driver suffered no injuries after his terrible crash at Silverstone (read the race in the ticker).

"See you in Austria," Zhou announced fresh and cheerful after the accident for the next race.

The example shows how important the introduction of the formerly hated component was in 2018.

And how safe Formula 1 has become.

Formula 1 in Silverstone: Zhou's bad crash causes an interruption

It happened right after takeoff: Zhou collided with George Russell's Mercedes and found himself on his head within a split second.

He slid headlong over asphalt and gravel before hitting the safety fence right in front of the fan stands.

There wasn't much left of the Alfa Romeo around him.

Unimaginable, but true: Guanyu Zhou later got out of his Alfa Romeo unharmed.

© IMAGO/Octane

Russell also ended up in the gravel bed, jumped out of his car and immediately ran to his opponent to inquire about his well-being.

The local hero spoke of an "incredibly frightening incident".

Because Zhou was trapped between the barrier and the safety fence, it was difficult to rescue the driver and car, and the race was interrupted for a long time.

Formula 1: Zhou after horror crash - "Halo saved me"

"The halo saved me," Zhou said.

"It was a serious accident, I'm glad I'm doing well." World Champion Max Verstappen stated: "Without Halo he wouldn't be there anymore." At the beginning, many drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, used the cockpit protection to defend themselves.

He is ugly, unnecessary and restricts the field of vision.

Hamilton has long since changed his mind after benefiting from a crash with Verstappen in Monza.

On Monday, the Zhou accident was one of the dominant topics in the international sports media.

The English

wrote of a “horrible crash”, the

of a “horror somersault”, and the

of a “miracle”.

The incident once again reminded everyone involved that Formula 1 remains one of the most dangerous sports in existence.