Before the first corner of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu’s car was clipped, causing it to flip and land on its halo, slide into the tire barrier, and flip again, pinning the car between the barrier and the crash fence. It was a horrifying crash that immediately caused a red flag, stopping the race. Thankfully, Guanyu didn’t suffer any serious injuries, as his team principal came over the radio to inform everyone that he’s conscious, talking, and miraculously didn’t suffer and fractures.
The crash started when AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly tried to split the gap between Mercedes driver George Russell and Zhou Guanyu. However, neither driver saw Gasly and closed the gap on him, which caused Gasly’s car to clip Russell’s rear tire. Russell’s car then collided Guanyu, which is what caused him to flip and slide into the barrier. Russell’s car also spun off the track and stopped with only a punctured tire. Immediately after his car stopped, Russell jumped out of his car and ran to see if Guanyu was okay.
After seeing the horrific crash from several different angles, including some of the drivers’ on-board cameras, it’s miraculous that Guanyu is okay. His safety is a testament to just how important the halo device is for F1 cars, as it protected Guanyu’s head and neck as his car slid across the tarmac upside down. After his car flipped over the tire barrier, it was stuck on its side between the barrier and the crash fence, which made getting Guanyu out difficult, so he was stuck in his car for several minutes. Once the safety crew was able to get Guanyu out of the car, he was immediately put on a stretcher and sent to a nearby hospital in an ambulance. Thankfully, though, Guanyu is okay.
A few other drivers were involved with other crashes in the aftermath of Guanyu’s. Alex Albon and Sebastian Vettel collided, which put Albon into the concrete wall. Albon was also taken to the hospital for medical checks but seems to be okay as well. Because the red flag came out so early in the first lap, the race had to restart with the original starting order, although Guanyu, Russell, and Albon all suffered DNFs for the day. However, what’s most important is that everyone seems to have made it out of that terrifying crash okay.