Guanyu Zhou miraculously escaped and is already thinking about racing in Austria. Photo: AP
the Chinese pilot Guanyu Zhou He was the outgoing protagonist of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix. The images of his spectacular accident, which a few years ago would have caused certain death, have been around the world and have gone viral on social networks. It was impressive to see how his Alfa Romeo overturned after being touched by the Mercedes of Briton George Russell at the first corner of Silverstone and how it traveled upside down and glittering until it passed the containment fences and got trapped against it. the metal nets of one of the stands.
The desperate rush of Russell himself, the first to attempt to assist him, and the absence of images from the official broadcast generated panic among fans of the great motor circus until it was learned that both Zhou and Thai Alex Albon (Williams) they were out of danger. The Halo system, used since 2018, was the guardian angel of the two pilots. Especially for the Alfa Romeo man,
Before the end of the race which saw the winner of the Spanish Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), in his first victory with the Máxima, Zhou was seen walking in the paddock and exchanging greetings with the Italian Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula 1, who could boast of the effective safety devices that cars have in this era. Indeed,
24 hours after the impact that shook everyone, Zhou sent a message of calm to the fans and announced that he will be on the grid next Sunday when the Austrian Grand Prix takes place.
“Hi everyone! Thank you all for the kind messages. I want to thank the race marshals and the medical team at Silverstone, they were really fantastic. I can’t wait to get back to normal more than ever, see you in Austria!”the Chinese released himself on his social networks waiting for the Alfa Romeo mechanics to get to work to recover his car.
the halo of the savior
Made in Grade 5 titanium, an ultra-strong, non-deformable and lightweight alloy widely used in the aerospace industry, the halo was greeted with great skepticism by pilots and teams, when the FIA, determined to increase safety for pilots, announced, in mid-2017, which would become a mandatory element of the cars for the 2018 season. Before opting for it, it had been unsuccessfully tested with a transparent screen, a kind of “windshield” called Aeroscreen, and then with the “shield”, a similar element. But the halo won the elections.
There have been those who have gladly accepted it – “It would be foolish and ignorant not to use such a thing”, assures Sebastian Vettel-; but there were many contrary voices. This annoyed the pilot’s view, splitting it in two. This created problems in the balance of the car and affected the aerodynamics. It was unsightly. That being composed, in principle, of three bars in the shape of “Y”, there was no certainty that it served to protect the pilots. “If there are parts of the cars that fly, it won’t work,” said Max Verstappen at the time, one of the big critics, initially, of the new component.
Four years later, there is not a single detractor on the grille of the Grand Circus, because the halo – which starts from the sides of the cockpit and closes in front of the driver above his eyes, with a thin support that sits right in the middle of the driver’s field of vision – proved necessary and effective.
And it wasn’t long after its debut that it proved its worth. It was the Belgian Grand Prix, held in August 2018, that buried all the controversy that his implementation had generated. On that date, he saved Charles Leclerc from being seriously injured by Fernando Alonso’s car. Seconds to go, Nico Hülkenberg violently hit the Spaniard’s McLaren. Alonso lost control and struck alongside Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull and overtook the Monegasque’s Sauber. One of the McLaren tires would have hit him in the head had it not been for the halo, which suffered no damage other than the chipping of the paint.
The first miracle of the Halo at Spa 2018 when Alonso’s McLaren hit Leclerc’s Sauber.
I don’t need any proof, but it was clear that it’s a good thing, ”Alonso reflected, relieved that he hadn’t hurt his colleague.
“A few years ago I was not in favor of the halo, but I think it is the most beautiful thing that has been incorporated into Formula 1, and without it I would not be able to speak to you today”, assured Romain Grosjean in December 2020, after that chilling accident he suffered at the Bahrain Grand Prix, which looked like something straight out of an action movie.
On the first lap, the Frenchman’s car collided with that of Russian Daniil Kvyat (AlphaTauri), got confused and crashed into the guardrail at high speed. The car split in two and caught fire. Grosjean got out of the car, in the middle of the flames, almost half a minute after the blow, but he only suffered burns to his hands. The repetition of the sequence showed that the cockpit of his car was embedded in the guardrail and it was the halo that absorbed the impact.
Grosjean’s Haas on fire on impact. Another F1 Halo moment. Photo: AFP
“I’m glad the halo worked. Romain could have been beheaded!” Hamilton commented, perhaps not realizing that he himself would have to thank a few seasons later for introducing the device.
It is that at the Monza Grand Prix last September, the Briton saved himself from being crushed in the head by the car of Max Verstappen, who, immersed in the fight for overtaking Mercedes, touched his rival’s car to the side. But it was unfortunate that when they made contact, his car got up and overtook Hamilton. If the halo had not protected him, the Englishman would have suffered the full impact of the steering wheel of the Dutchman’s car.
Source: Clarin
