Five times the Halo came to the rescue of F1 drivers
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The Halo in an F1 car
The halo is a curving accident-protection system that is positioned over the driver’s helmet on the top of Formula One cars. Halo, which debuted in 2016, is made to protect drivers from flying particles during collisions or when a car flips over. It is about 10 kg in weight.
Drivers have been struck by flying debris from their cars ahead of them entangled in multiple accidents in the past, sometimes tragically. During practice for the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, Brazilian driver Felipe Massa was injured by a spring from Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn.
During a Formula Two race at Brands Hatch, Henry Surtees, the son of 1964 Formula One World Champion John Surtees, was struck on the crash helmet by a tyre and died as a result. The Halo saved Alfa Romeo’s Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu at the British Grand Prix on Sunday after his car sieged during the accident.
5 drivers who got their lives saved due to the halo
1. Romain Grosjean at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix
One of the most dramatic incidents in motorsport history in 2020 was Romain Grosjean’s horrific crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The French driver survived the accident with with minor injuries, but just three years before, the same accident surely would have killed him. On the first lap, Grosjean was heading out of Turn 2 when he bungled a maneuver in front of Daniil Kvyat of AlphaTauri, wheeling his Haas around and driving it head-on into the barriers at an acute angle.
Grosjean’s car snapped in half as a result of the forceful contact, which caused the survival cell to break through the wall while Grosjean was still inside. Grosjean hit the barrier at 67G and burned the split fuel cell as he came to a stop on the other side. Thankfully, he was able to evade the cockpit, scale the barricades in the inferno, and avoid the collision before the surge of adrenaline of the situation overcame him.
2. Lewis Hamilton at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix
While the accident between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen during the 2021 Italian Grand Prix initially seemed benign, with the accident looking more ridiculous than severe, it wasn’t until it got further in-depth analysis that the significance of the Halo’s contribution became clear. Verstappen’s Red Bull was thrown into the air and across the top of Hamilton’s Mercedes during the initial collision at the entrance of Turn 2 at Monza. Verstappen’s car then ended up on top of his competitor’s roll hoop and Halo.
The Halo, which had previously been protecting Hamilton’s head, prevented Hamilton from suffering catastrophic head trauma when Verstappen’s car’s rear-right wheel spun across the top of the Halo and Hamilton’s helmet. Without a doubt, the Halo stopped far worse situation from occurring when Hamilton’s helmet was shoved downward by the wheel.
3. Charles Leclerc at the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix
When he was caught in a catastrophic collision at Spa-Francorchamps in 2018, Charles Leclerc was competing in his first Formula One season with Alfa Romeo Sauber. Leclerc’s car was impacted by Fernando Alonso’s McLaren, which was in the air after being slammed by Nico Hulkenberg’s Renault, as it braked for La Source.
The final investigation on the collision had come to the conclusion that the halo did play a vital part in keeping Leclerc from harm or worse after weeks of examination of video evidence and information from the affected vehicles. In addition to enduring the 58kN collision from Alonso’s right front wheel structurally undamaged and in a functional condition, the cockpit protection system also assisted in deflecting the McLaren aside after the incident. Sauber was able to eliminate the halo without any mishap.
4. Alex Peroni at Monza in 2019
Alex Peroni, a young Australian driver competing in the Formula 3 Championship at Monza in 2019, crashed into a sausage curb on the exit of the Parabolica. As he flew overhead, his car was launched upward in what appeared to be an accident from a video game.
His vehicle fell on the tyre barricades inverted, bounced upwards, and then came to rest right way up. After the scary collision, Peroni was able to exit the vehicle and eventually pulled from the competition in order to travel back to Australia with a damaged spine.
5. Zhou Guanyu in the 2022 British Grand Prix
In a collision with George Russell and Pierre Gasly on the approach to the first corner of the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit, the Chinese driver’s Alfa Romeo F1 car was flipped over. He then rolled over the crash barricades and came to rest between the catch netting and tyre wall. While struggling to avoid the incident involving Zhou, Alex Albon, Sebastian Vettel, Yuki Tsunoda, and Esteban Ocon were involved in their own crash and the race was promptly red flagged.
The medical teams quickly began treating Zhou after pulling him out of the vehicle and transporting him to the Silverstone medical centre. After leaving the hospital, the Formula One novice was eventually released and deemed healthy. “The marshals and the medical team at the track were fantastic with their quick response, and I also owe my thanks to the FIA and Formula 1 for all the work they have done, and they keep doing, to improve the safety of our cars: the Halo saved me today, and it goes to show that every step we take in improving our cars has real, valuable results,” said Zhou thanking the contribution of the halo in his smooth recovery from the accident.
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Rishika Saha
(445 Articles Published)