Zhou Guanyu says halo saved his life after horror Formula 1 crash halts British Grand Prix

Zhou Guanyu said he was fit and raring to go for the Austrian Grand Prix next weekend after escaping largely unscathed from a horrific multi-car crash that brought the British Grand Prix to a halt within seconds of the start.

The Alfa Romeo driver hailed the halo safety device that is mandatory on all Formula One cars for saving his life, after what Mercedes driver George Russell called “one of the scariest crashes I’ve ever seen”.

Approaching the first corner at more than 200km/h (124mph), Zhou was sent flying upside down across the Silverstone track on Sunday, before crossing a gravel trap and flipping over a tyre barrier, eventually coming to rest semi-upright against catch fencing in front of shocked fans.

Russell, who sprinted from his car to check on Zhou, had appeared to be hit from behind in the incident, pushing him into the Alfa Romeo and causing a pile-up that also involved Williams’ Alex Albon, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Yuki Tsunoda of Alpha Tauri.

“The Halo saved me today, and it goes to show that every step we take in improving our cars has real, valuable results,” Zhou said. “I’m keener than ever to get back on track and do what I love: I’m fit and I’m looking forward to Austria next week.”

The titanium halo was introduced by Formula One in 2018, initially to some resistance from drivers who disliked the look of the protective ring around what had previously been a completely open cockpit.

Zhou thanked the “fantastic” marshals and medical team for their quick response.

“I also owe my thanks to the FIA and Formula One for all the work they have done, and they keep doing, to improve the safety of our cars,” he said.

Frédéric Vasseur, the Alfa Romeo team principal, confirmed that Zhou would be fit to race in Austria next week.

“I think we can all agree that the most important thing today is seeing Zhou come out of such a huge crash without any injury,” he said.

“What we witnessed were dramatic scenes, and once again we have to thank the great improvements in safety spearheaded by the FIA and Formula One for a positive outcome.

“The work to improve safety in our sport is never done and today reminds us of just how important this is: Zhou is OK and fit to race in Austria next week, and this is the big victory of the day.”

Once the race had been red flagged, the FIA then announced that Zhou and Albon had both been taken to the medical centre.

Television replays of the crash were not broadcast until it was clear Zhou had been removed safely and was conscious. Officials later released a further statement saying Zhou was “in good health and has left the medical centre”.

Albon was also taken to the medical centre before being transferred to Coventry Hospital by helicopter for further precautionary checks.

The crash caused an hour’s delay to the race, which was one of the most dramatic of the season, with wheel-to-wheel battles for position eventually ending with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz winning his first Grand Prix.

Sergio Perez finished second for Red Bull, with Lewis Hamilton coming in third for Mercedes in his home race at Silverstone.

This was not the first collision in which the halo device was instrumental in saving a driver from serious injury on Sunday – Roy Nissany survived after another car driven by Dennis Hauger landed on top of his cockpit in which he was saved by the halo in the Formula 2 race. Both escaped unhurt.

Last season Lewis Hamilton had singled out the halo for saving him from serious harm after Max Verstappen’s Red Bull ended up on top of his cockpit in a scary incident at Monza.