The tenth round of the F1 Formula One race was held in Silverstone, England last Sunday. A serious accident occurred shortly after the start. At that time, the Alfa Romeo chariot driven by the Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu was hit and overturned, and the front of the car fell straight to the sand. In the stone area, the crash barrier was “fried” and finally caught in the outer fence. After the incident, Zhou Guanyu reported safety on his personal social networking site, saying that the protective device “Halo” in the chariot saved his life. What is the sacredness of this Halo?
▲ Image source: Formula 1 Youtube
I’m ok, all clear. Halo saved me today. Thanks everyone for your kind messages! pic.twitter.com/OylxoJC4M0
— Zhou Guanyu | Zhou Guanyu ???????? (@ZhouGuanyu24) July 3, 2022
The Halo is a “Y” wishbone-shaped titanium fence that sits above the cockpit of the race car, wraps around the driver’s head from both sides, and is fixed rearward to either side of the driving position to prevent the driver’s head from being severely hit in an accident. Weighing nine kilograms, the Halo is capable of bearing the weight of a double-decker bus and defends the driver against impact despite being knocked over or hit by vehicle parts at high speed.
▲Image source: UDN
The FIA introduced the Halo protection because of serious accidents in the past, including in the 2015 American IndyCar, when former F1 driver Justin Wilson was hit in the head by vehicle debris, piercing his helmet, causing Died from head trauma. The other was the 2014 F1 Japan Grand Prix, when driver Jules Bianchi ran out of control and ran off the track, hitting a tractor parked off the track and died. These two racing tragedies are seen as the main reason why the FIA introduced the protective device Halo.
Halo’s “Y”-shaped wishbone is shaped like a “flip-flop”. When the FIA introduced the Halo, the industry and fans criticized the design for its lack of aesthetics and against the tradition of an open cockpit. Some drivers are concerned that the Halo obstructs the line of sight and affects the safety of driving. Halo has been implemented for many years, and the survival rate of drivers in accidents has increased by nearly 20%. At the F1 Bahrain station in 2020, Romain Grosjean ran out of control to fry the car, crashed into the fence at a speed of nearly 220 kilometers per hour, the body was subjected to 50 G gravity, and even exploded and caught fire. Later, Grosjean said that he also opposed Halo a few years ago, but he still believes that Halo It is the most perfect device in the world, otherwise I should not be able to speak. At the 2021 F1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the Red Bull chariot was once pressed onto the roof of the flat car, all relying on Halo to bear the wheels, and the helmet of the “Black Emperor” also left traces of being run over by the wheels. Hamilton said that it was fortunate that there was Halo, It was this device that saved itself, protecting the neck of the racer.
Source: HiNet
Image source: Formula 1 Youtube, UDN
