At the British Grand Prix race last weekend, F1 driver Zhou Guanyu’s car rolled over several times during the first lap of Silverstone at around 320 km/h and crashed into the stands barriers. Impressively, the Alfa Romeo driver survived unscathed.
According to Guanyu on Twitter, it was the technology called Halo that saved his life during this accident, and this technology has repeatedly saved the lives of not only Guanyu but also other racing drivers.
What is halo?
The Halo is a triangular sling-shaped titanium bar that rests on the cockpit and surrounds the driver’s head. This bar is designed to carry 12 tons, balancing on a 7 kilogram carbonfibre-coated frame.
F1 has always been a dangerous sport, but the danger began to be taken much more seriously after the death of Henry Surtees during a race in 2009, Jules Bianchi during the 2014 F1 Japanese Grand Prix races, and Justin Wilson at the IndyCar event in 2015. Surtees and Wilson were both killed when debris from other vehicles hit their heads.
The Halo was first trialled in F1 in 2016 and was made mandatory in 2018 to protect drivers’ heads in the event of a vehicle rollover or being struck by airborne debris.
Zhou survived this major accident thanks to HaloAfter years of research and studies, it was realized that it was the only solution that could successfully remove a tire coming at 240 km/h. It was also the only safety option that largely did not obscure vision, which is very important to drivers.
It took a while to get used to, as many people objected to Halo, including then-F1 manager Bernie Ecclestone. F1 commentator Harry Benjamin said many people initially didn’t like the look of this bar.
However, as Halo was used, both people got used to the look of it and the objections that it blocked the driver’s vision proved to be largely unfounded. Currently, Halo is considered one of the greatest success stories ever developed in F1 history.
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