LONDON: Formula 1 can learn an important safety lesson from the serious accident of Chinese driver Guanyu Zhou at the British Grand Prix, according to Mercedes driver George Russell.
The Briton was involved in the accident on the first lap that saw Zhou’s sparkling Alfa Romeo slide headfirst across the track before flying over the tire barriers and becoming wedged sideways in a gap between the safety fence and barrier.
The newcomer later said his life was saved by the Titan Halo head protection system.
“It was awful, he was stuck in that position, (there was) nothing he could have done,” Russell, who was there quickly after jumping out of his battered car, told reporters at Silverstone.
“We have to think to avoid having a car stuck in such a narrow gap,” added the director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA).
“The space between the barriers and the metal fence and he was just stuck there, nowhere to go. Yes, to learn something.”
Had the car caught fire, as in the case of Romain Grosjeans Haas, who broke through the metal barriers in Bahrain in 2020 and the Frenchman was able to quickly break free, there would have been no escape.
On the first lap, the Alfa’s tank could have held more than 100 kg of fuel.
Former racing driver Anthony Davidson, now a Sky Sports Television pundit, questioned why there was a gap between the fence and barrier and questioned the apparent failure of the Alfa’s roll bar structure.
Television images showed the roll bar had been ripped off and the halo carried the load.
“I’ve seen photos of the aftermath of the accident where the actual roll bar appears to be missing,” Davidson said. “It really didn’t work when you think about it.
“The roll bar was supposed to be as strong as the halo, remain intact at all times and protect the driver’s head from impact, and it didn’t. So you will ask questions about it.”
Ferrari’s race winner Carlos Sainz had no doubt that the halo played an important role.
“We sometimes criticize the (ruling) FIA, but in these cases you have to show them how much they have helped us,” said the Spaniard, who also highlighted how the halo had worked in a major Formula 2 crash on Sunday morning .
“What happened to the Halo today, it probably saved two lives,” he added.