Zhou conscious after car flips, leaps over barrier during British GP crash
Alfa Romeo rookie Zhou Guanyu needed to be extracted from his car after a five-car crash on the opening lap caused a red flag at the British Grand Prix.
Zhou was stretchered off and taken away in an ambulance. He was conscious and underwent further evaluation, Alfa Romeo said. Following the race, he was seen walking around the paddock.
The Chinese driver's car went upside down and slid across the gravel before rolling over the tire barrier and landing against the fence in front of the grandstand.
REPLAY:
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 3, 2022
Here is a look at the massive impact that Zhou Gyanyu suffered as he jumps the tire barriers and flipped into the catch fence.
Thank goodness for the Halo. Zhou is okay.#Formula1 #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/n7pqcZA7mH
The crash between Gasly v Russel v Zhou #F1 pic.twitter.com/be2n6Y75YW
— 💙💛 Rel' 3️⃣3️⃣ (@xRelbug) July 3, 2022
"I'm OK, all clear. Halo saved me today," Zhou said in a tweet. "Thanks everyone for your kind messages!"
Williams' Alex Albon also needed to be taken to the medical center, colliding with AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda down the grid.
Zhou started Sunday's race at Silverstone from the ninth position. He collided with George Russell after the Mercedes driver clipped AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly. Alpine's Esteban Ocon also sustained damage to his vehicle, totaling at least five drivers involved in the incident.
Russell also couldn't restart after the British driver exited his vehicle to check on Zhou following the crash. FIA regulations state that cars that receive assistance while on the track are ineligible to resume, and Russell's Mercedes was taken to the pit via a flatbed truck.
The grid order was reset to the pre-race settings when the race resumed, notably knocking Max Verstappen down to second, putting Carlos Sainz back on pole, and bumping Lewis Hamilton from third to fifth.