Halo is a Must Have Life Saving Safety Feature

The 2022 F1 British Grand Prix has just started at the Silverstone circuit. A start that took place on a dry track, after very real threat of rain.

After start in the first corner, a huge crash occurred, after Frenchmen Pierre Gasly made contact with Zhou's Alfa Romeo and George Russell which put both of them out of race. In buildup of crash Russell's Mercedes which he had no control, hit the Alfa Romeo and it flipped several times going over the barriers to finally stopping in fences.

Alfa Romeo has confirmed Zhou is conscious and made it to medical center of track. As we got to see replays, we have to thank halo again and again as the crash could be fatal for Russell and specially Zhou.

Earlier today in Formula 2 there was another life threatening crash involving driver Roy Nissany and Dennis Hauger. Roy Nissany can count today as his lucky day after ending up underneath an opponents car following a second lap crash.

Nissany ran wide on a turn before entering the track just few inches front of Prema racing's Dennis Hauger. But as Hauger went inside to overtake Nissany pushed to the left forcing contact between the pair.

The collision forced Hauger off the track with a right tyre puncture that left his car skidding towards the next turn, unable to bring it under control or slow down. As Hauger hit the corner, the sausage kerb launched his car off the ground and saw him skate across the front of Nissany’s car.

If not for the halo being on the car, tributes would be flowing for the 28-year-old. Instead both drivers walked away from the terrifying accident. As the replays showed the incident, the commentators were thankful both drivers were unharmed.

“That is a life saved unequivocally and I’m going to say it, I say it a lot on social media, sausage kerbs launch cars into the air - that is the most frightening accident you will see. The halo saving the life of a driver there,” one commentator said.

“Stupid sausage kerb creating a horrible accident in F2. The Halo saving the day once again. Sickening accident. Very glad to see Roy Nissany walk away from that one,” “Nissany unquestionably the architect of it all with some very poor driving, Hauger an innocent passenger in that horrible accident. Halo proving its value once again, sausage kerbs proving their danger once again.” Will Buxton wrote.

Sun Sports’ Frankie Christou wrote: “Absolutely bonkers there was even a debate to introduce the halo a few years back. Another driver emerges from the cockpit unharmed because of it.”

The halo was introduced in Formula 1 back in 2018 with mixed reactions and backlash from some top voices. The safety device however has since received well deserved praise after many life threatening crashes drivers were able to walk out of from it, solely depending on halo. Perhaps now the argument should be how can we make this even safer. Because even with halo there is still a huge portion of head and body is directly exposed to smaller debriefs.

Lewis Hamilton avoided serious injury at the Italian Grand Prix in 2021 after a collision with Max Verstappen saw the Red Bull land on top of Hamilton’s Mercedes.

“It’s days like today, I am reminded of how lucky I am. It takes a millisecond to go from racing to a very scary situation. Today someone must have been looking down, watching over me,” Hamilton tweeted after his narrow escape.