Formula 1. British GP: The halo proves it's effectiveness after Zhou's crash

It was criticised for its appearance, particularly its giant flip-flop strap that was deemed unattractive and its impact on visibility.

Formula 1. British GP: The halo proves it's effectiveness after Zhou's crash

It was criticised for its appearance, particularly its giant flip-flop strap that was deemed unattractive and its impact on visibility. However, the halo fulfilled its role again on Sunday in Guanya Zhou’s stunning accident, which took place just seconds after the start to the GP from Great Britain at Silverstone. Everything is fine. Shortly after leaving the British circuit medical centre, the Chinese driver tweeted that the halo saved him.

The images show that the accident occurred at the beginning of this 10th round F1 championship. It involved the single-seaters Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri), George Russell(Mercedes) as well as Zhou Guanyu, (Alfa Romeo). The car of the latter left the track and turned around to finish the race against the safety barriers. The halo, a piece of titanium that weighs less than 10 kg and is designed to withstand 12 tonnes of weight, was again used in this extremely violent shock.

Max Verstappen retorted, "It's never pleasant to see such things" The championship leader said, "I believe Zhou would have been in a completely different place without him." This appendage has played a significant role in several instances since its introduction for 2018 F1 season. Like in 2018, when Fernando Alonso's McLaren was hit by Nico Hulkenberg (Renault), the McLaren flew off Charles Leclerc’s Sauber. This play is largely responsible for the Monegasque's escape. Alonso had at the time assured him that "it's good evidence" of its utility.

This was most notably in November 2020 at Bahrain Grand Prix when Romain Grosjean miraculously escaped his terrible accident thanks to his halo. It saved his head from the F1 crash at 220 km/h behind a security barrier. Lewis Hamilton, seven-time F1 world champion, said that without him "he could've been beheaded". Grosjean, who was in hospital, admitted that he wasn't in favor of the idea a few years back.

In September 2021, there was an amazing collision between Max Verstappen, Red Bull, then leader of F1 and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), which resulted in Lewis Hamilton's death. Without this piece, it could have been disastrous for the Brit. Toto Wolff, Mercedes team boss, said that Lewis was saved by the halo.