The accident at British Grand Prix (GP) Photo:Sina Weibo

Alfa Romeo's Chinese racer Zhou Guanyu was involved in a horrifying crash during the British Grand Prix (GP) on Sunday. Fortunately, the driver has not been seriously injured as he has posted on social media sites Sina Weibo and Twitter that he is "ok."

During the opening lap of the British GP, Zhou and Mercedes's George Russell crashed into each other. Zhou's race car flew off the ground, flipped completely upside down and skidded down the raceway, rolling several times more before it hit the stand wall. 

Though Zhou's life seemed to be in jeopardy, he appeared to be conscious when he was removed from his car after a few minutes and taken away on a stretcher. 

Following the incident, Zhou's team, Alfa Romeo F1 team Orlen, posted on Twitter on Sunday, confirming that "Zhou Guanyu is conscious and now at the circuit's medical centre to undergo evaluation."

"I'm ok, all clear. Halo saved me today. Thanks everyone for your kind messages," Zhou posted on Twitter. 

As Zhou noted, the "Halo," a major safety device that protects open-wheel racing drivers, saved his life by preventing his head from hitting the ground. 

Often called a "flip-flop" due to its shape, a Halo is made up of protective bars made from titanium alloy placed in front of the driver's cockpit. Weighing only seven kilograms, the bars can withstand about 12 tons of impact, making them able to greatly protect drivers from being hurt during races. 

"Racing is an extreme sport. Even if there is only an infinitesimal chance that it can enhance safety, it should be used," Luo Le, a professional sports writer, told the Global Times on Monday. 

Though the Halo system was initially criticized due to certain flaws such as its impact on a vehicle's stability, in 2018 the FIA (International Automobile Federation) made it a mandatory safety measure for Formula 1 as it could theoretically increase the survival rate of drivers in major accidents by 17 percent.

Beside Zhou's accident, the Halo was instrumental in saving the life of Swiss-French racer Romain Grosjean during a fiery car crash during the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2020. 

Zhou also praised the system on Sina Weibo, telling Chinese fans that he felt lucky to still be standing. News of the crash quickly became a trending topic on Sina Weibo, earning 100 million views as fans called for more protection for drivers like Zhou. 

"I blacked out when I saw his car crash. I hope drivers' safety can be a top priority for F1. No one really cares about the score after they hear their favorite driver has been hurt," wrote one netizen.   

Though the accident was dreadful, Russell was seen exiting his car immediately and running over to help Zhou after the accident happened at Sunday's event. This action warmed the hearts of many fans in China, some of whom called it "representative of ethics in sports." 

"I don't think this will affect his [Zhou Guanyu] performance from now on because as an extreme sport competitor he is professional enough to know that such dangers are eventually a part of the game," Luo noted.