Silverstone relief as Zhou survives terrifying crash

Sainz claims win at action-packed British Grand Prix, with third-placed Hamilton backing protesters who sat on track after red-flag incident

Formula One’s halo cockpit protection device was credited as critical in having saved lives at the British Grand Prix after a terrifying first-lap crash at Silverstone.

The Chinese driver Zhou Guanyusurvived an enormous high-speed smash and acknowledged the device had been key in protecting him from serious injury.

The incident-packed race was also interrupted by environmental protesters, with Lewis Hamilton expressing support for their cause afterwards.

At turn one on the opening lap a multi-car shunt involved Zhou’s Alfa Romeo hitting the barriers at high speed – his car was flipped and came to halt between the armco and the catch fencing. It then took some time to extract the 23-year-old, who is the first Chinese driver in Formula One and in his rookie season.

Zhou was safely removed and taken to the medical centre for examination. He was conscious and was released having been declared fit. “I’m OK, all clear. Halo saved me today. Thanks everyone for your kind messages!” he posted on Twitter.

George Russell was clipped by Pierre Gasly in the incident also involving Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon and the Mercedes driver then collided with Zhou, turning his car over, causing it to hurtle at high-speed upside down across the gravel trap, with impact on the halo which protects the drivers’ head, before hitting the barriers and sailing over them into the fence. Albon was taken to hospital for a check-up but was also pronounced unhurt.

The scale and speed of the incident was horrific and Zhou was remarkably lucky to have escaped.

He was upside down for a considerable distance and the tyre barriers barely slowed the car but instead launched it into the fencing.

The accident occurred only hours after Roy Nissany and Dennis Hauger had a high-speed