PICTURES | Horror crash at Silverstone met with relief as China's Zhou 'okay'

There was drama aplenty at the British Grand Prix on Sunday and it all started with a horrific accident that saw the Alfa Romeo of Guanyu Zhou flipped upside down before crashing over the barricades. 

LIVE | British Grand Prix

The news from the track is that, fortunately and almost miraculously, Zhou is okay. 

As Max Verstappen pipped pole sitter Carlos Sainz to the first corner there was "carnage" behind with marshalls rushing to Zhou trapped in his stricken car.

George Russell's Mercedes, Alpine's Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) and the Williams of Alex Albon were also involved.

A specialist crew attended Zhou who was safely lifted out from his car and carried on a stretcher to an ambulance to take him to the medical centre. An FIA statement later announced the Chinese driver and Albon were conscious and being evaluated at the medical centre, prompting cheers from the grandstand.

"We are told driver is okay. Zhou is okay," Valtteri Bottas, his Alfa Romeo teammate, was told over the team radio.The roadworthy members of the grid returned to the pits to wait for the re-start."

In a radio statement, Alfa Romeo later said: "Zhou is conscious, he is talking, there are no fractures. Considering the circumstances, he is pretty good, pretty well." 

This was not the first collision in which the 'halo' device was instrumental in saving a driver from serious injury — Roy Nissany survived after another car driven by Dennis Hauger landed on top his cockpit in which he was saved by the halo. Both escaped unhurt. 

Here are some of images from Getty, who captured the terrifying moment.