Sainz: Halo ‘saved two lives’ on Sunday

Carlos Sainz says it is a testament to F1’s ever-improving safety that Zhou Guanyu and Roy Nissany both walked away from horror crashes at Silverstone.

Competing in the morning’s Formula 2 feature race, Nissany clipped Dennis Hauger’s car, sending him flying off the circuit and over a sausage kerb.

Airborne, the Norwegian driver landed on top of Nissany, the Halo protecting the DAMS racer.

“That’s a life saved unequivocally,” was the verdict from the commentators.

Hours later, the Halo was again being praised, this time when Zhou was flipped on the opening lap of the Formula 1 race.

Sliding across the tarmac and through the gravel with his car upside down as sparks flew, the car dug into the gravel and flipped over the tyre barrier where it was caught in the catch fencing at Abbey.

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Zhou was treated by the medical team before being taken by ambulance to Silverstone‘s medical centre, where he was kept under observation.

Miraculously, he escaped unhurt.

Sainz says that is thanks to the FIA and their constant drive to improve safety, which saw the Halo introduced to the sport in 2018.

Today was a reminder that F1 remains a high-speed, high-risk sport that is always right on the edge.

We are so thankful to the advances in safety that mean both Zhou Guanyu and Alex Albon are safe and well. pic.twitter.com/BJ8PPDG2av

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 3, 2022

The British Grand Prix race winner, who deliberately avoided seeing TV replays of the crash until after the race, says the FIA deserves praise for saving not one but “two lives” on Sunday.

“First of