Zhou Guanyu’s British GP crash to be fully investigated by the FIA

Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, will fully investigate the horrific first lap crash involving Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu at the British Grand Prix.

Zhou was flipped over at the start following contact from George Russell in the Mercedes. The inverted car continued to travel at high speed through the gravel before it vaulted the barrier and landed between the fencing and tyre wall. It then took the rescue team a significant amount of time to extract Zhou from the car due to the difficult landing position. An assessment by the medical team confirmed the Chinese driver had not suffered any injuries.

As with any serious incident in F1, the FIA will review all the factors involved to learn lessons and ultimately continue to improve safety in the sport.

The mayhem at the first turn also saw a separate crash involving Alex Albon who ended up hitting the pit wall following contact from behind. The Williams driver ended up being taken to the Coventry hospital before being given the all-clear later in the day.

Speaking after the crash, Zhou expressed his gratitude to the rescue team and the importance of the car’s Halo device. “The marshals and the medical team at the track were fantastic with their quick response, and I also owe my thanks to the FIA and Formula 1 for all the work they have done, and they keep doing, to improve the safety of our cars: the Halo saved me today, and it goes to show that every step we take in improving our cars has real, valuable results,” he said.