Hakkinen praises FIA development: 'Zhou remained protected'

At the start of the British Grand Prix, we saw once again how many steps the FIA has taken to make Formula One safer. There were two separate accidents, both with great impact. The first was Guanyu Zhou, who slid upside down on the tarmac after a collision. Secondly, Alexander Albon lost control and shot straight through the field, hitting several drivers.

According to Mika Hakkinen, the accident was further proof that the FIA has taken the right steps to ensure the safety of drivers and fans during the race. "It was a very spectacular accident, the kind which can happen when you have multiple collisions," the former world champion explained in his column on Unibet.

'Most important that Zhou is unharmed'

"There is no question that the halo probably saved his life, or at the very least saved him from serious injury. Since its introduction by the FIA in 2018 we have seen the halo protect drivers on a number of occasions." Hakkinen refers, among others, to the crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at Monza last year, where the Dutchman landed on top of the seven-time world champion.

What was striking about Zhou's crash was the disappearance of the roll hoop on top of the car, which is supposed to protect the drivers if the car ends up up upside down. Hakkinen expects that they will look into this, but that they will not change anything major. "No doubt the team and the FIA will look into the exact details when they come to examine the car, damage and data. But the main thing is that the car was then upside down, still travelling at high speed, and yet Guanyu was being protected all the time by the titanium halo and high cockpit sides."