On Sunday, there were two horrific crashes in the Formula One and Formula Two races at Silverstone. According to experts, both could have been fatal if not for the “Halo” device.
Roy Nissany and Dennis Hauger collided on the opening lap of the F2 race at Silverstone, sending Hauger’s car airborne, while Zhou Guanyu’s car was inverted during the F1 race.
Sunday morning at Silverstone, Formula 2 drivers Roy Nissany and Dennis Hauger collided on the opening lap after Hauger’s car was launched over the “sausage” curb and sent flying towards Nissany.
Both cars came to a stop in the gravel after Hauger’s vehicle landed on top of his competitor at high speed.
Incredibly, both drivers escaped unharmed, and television replays revealed that Nissany’s life was saved by the Halo, a cockpit-mounted safety device introduced to Formula 1 and Formula 2 in 2018.
In the subsequent Formula One race held at Silverstone, Zhou Guanyu’s Alfa Romeo flipped multiple times at high speed and skidded upside down across the gravel on top of its Halo device.
Zhou’s car flipped over a tire barrier a second time before becoming wedged between the barrier and fencing at the first turn, delaying extraction efforts.
George Russell, one of the drivers involved in the accident, ran to check on the Chinese driver after the red flag was displayed.
Russell, who described the accident as “one of the scariest I’ve ever experienced,” was not permitted to return to the race because his Mercedes was towed back to pit lane while he was examining Zhou.
Mercedes protested the decision, but the FIA stood firm.
Valtteri Bottas, Zhou’s teammate, initially confirmed that his colleague was conscious and talking and had not sustained any fractures.
Alfa Romeo stated that he had been released from the medical center of the circuit following examinations.
Later, Zhou thanked supporters for their support.
He stated, “I’m fine. Halo saved my life today. Thank you all for your kind messages!”
F1 journalist Chris Medland tweeted after the collision between Nissany and Hauger, “The Halo saved Nissany’s life 100 percent”
Tom Gaynor, a commentator for F1, stated, “Thank God for Halo, unquestionably the savior once again.”
The Halo is a barrier that prevents large objects and debris from entering the cockpit of a single-seat racing vehicle.
It has proven controversial, with critics claiming it taints the “purity” of an open-cockpit, single-seat racing car.
Some have also claimed that it can impede the driver’s ability to quickly exit the vehicle. In practice, this has not been a problem.
Lewis Hamilton credited the Halo with saving his life after he and Max Verstappen collided during the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
The rear-right wheel of Verstappen’s out-of-control Red Bull flew into the path of Hamilton’s Mercedes, crushing the top of the vehicle.
After the incident, Hamilton remarked, “I feel extremely fortunate today; thank God for the Halo, which saved me and my neck”.
