Eight times the Halo became a saviour: Grosjean, Leclerc and more scary incidents remembered
Zhou Guanyu was saved by his Halo during this scary crash at the 2022 British Grand Prix.
The introduction of the Halo in 2018 has unquestionably led to several drivers being saved from serious injury – or worse. Here are eight such examples.
The 10th anniversary of Jules Bianchi’s ultimately fatal accident at Suzuka this week also marks a decade since the FIA stepped up its efforts to hasten the introduction of a cockpit protection system. The Halo was the device settled on by the governing body, and was made mandatory in 2018.
The Halo is introduced to widespread disapproval
But the cockpit protection system initially was seen as a step in the wrong direction for F1, with fans decrying the sleek lines of a Formula 1 with a rather cobbled-together solution to enhance the safety for the drivers.
Certainly, it can be said the initial offerings were rather inelegant but, with the Halo becoming a mandatory part of the car’s designs, they have become much sleeker and are now part of an individual car’s lines and, as such, have become almost invisible.
But cosmetic concerns were really the only criticism which could be levelled at the Halo, given that it had negligible impact on the driver’s vision (the same couldn’t be said for the Aeroscreen, which IndyCar plumped for, as Sebastian Vettel tested it on his Ferrari in 2016 and found it gave him headaches due to reflections and blurriness).
The purpose of the Halo was to give drivers a far better opportunity to survive accidents without threat to their heads and, in this regard, the Halo quickly proved its worth – to the point where detractors were quickly silenced.
Even drivers who had initially spoken negatively about the Halo quickly changed their minds and, nowadays, the Halo is widely regarded as one of the most critical safety improvements to have been made in F1 in the modern era – Jean Todt’s regime at the FIA ignoring the cries of the critics to forge ahead with the plan.
Let’s look back over the most obvious examples of when the Halo came to the rescue to save a driver from harm.
8. Tadasuke Makino – Formula 2, 2018, Barcelona
Formula 2 implemented the Halo device at the same time as Formula 1, and it quickly proved to be a wise decision just weeks after its introduction.
During Round 3 of the 2018 Championship in Barcelona, Japanese drivers Nirei Fukuzumi and Tadasuke Makino collided at Turn 4, causing Fukuzumi’s car to be launched into the air and land on top of Makino’s vehicle.
The Halo on Makino’s car absorbed the impact as Fukuzumi’s rear-left wheel came to rest directly on it. Following the incident, Makino, who had initially been a skeptic, admitted that the experience changed his perspective.
“The first time I tested this car, I didn’t think the Halo was good because it’s difficult to see anything, but today the Halo helped me,” he told Autosport.
“It’s really important. I understand how the Halo works now. I don’t know what happened, but, without the Halo, I think the tyre would have hit my helmet.”
7. Alex Peroni – Formula 3, 2019, Monza
In the 2019 Formula 3 Championship at Monza, Australian driver Alex Peroni experienced a terrifying moment when he hit a sausage kerb at the exit of the Parabolica.
His car was propelled into the air in a spectacular fashion, resembling a computer game crash more than real life.
It landed upside down on the tyre barriers, bounced back up, and eventually came to rest right-side up.
Fortunately, Peroni was able to exit the vehicle after the harrowing incident, but he later withdrew from the championship to return home to Australia due to a broken vertebra.
The image below, taken by this author in the paddock, illustrates the significant damage to the Halo on his Campos Racing car.
Look at the damage to Peroni’s halo from earlier. Campos working hard to repair the car now. Peroni won’t be racing tomorrow. #F3 #ItalianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/bvFmxqJypB
— Thomas Maher (@thomasmaheronf1) September 7, 2019
The accident was another to sway those who were still unsure of its merits, with Pierre Gasly – who had just lost his close friend Anthoine Hubert in a Formula 2 crash the week previously – saying he now understood the Halo’s introduction.
“I must say I’ve never been a fan of the Halo,” Gasly told reporters at Monza.
“Looking at these images I think it’s clearly a good reason to have it.
“We will never know what would have happened without it but we don’t want to imagine.”
6. Charles Leclerc – Formula 1, 2018, Spa-Francorchamps
In 2018, Charles Leclerc was competing in his rookie F1 season with Alfa Romeo Sauber when he was involved in a serious accident at Spa-Francorchamps on the opening lap.
While braking for La Source, Leclerc’s car was struck by Fernando Alonso’s airborne McLaren, which had been hit by Nico Hulkenberg’s Renault.
As the McLaren soared over Leclerc, Alonso’s front-right wheel made contact with Leclerc’s Halo as the two cars collided.
The near-miss was acknowledged by both, with Leclerc saying: “The Halo definitely helped today,” while Alonso added: “We didn’t need any proof, but it’s a good thing.”
5. Lewis Hamilton – Formula 1, 2021, Monza
The collision between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in the 2021 Italian Grand Prix initially seemed quite innocuous, aside from its dramatic implications in that season’s contention title battle.
But the full extent of the Halo’s involvement in saving Hamilton from suffering a critical injury quickly became apparent.
At the apex of Turn 2 at Monza, Verstappen’s Red Bull was launched into the air by the kerbing as he attempted an audacious overtake on Hamilton.
He landed atop Hamilton’s Mercedes, resting on his roll hoop and Halo.
The Halo not only protected Hamilton’s head but also prevented serious injuries when Verstappen’s rear-right wheel rotated over the top of the Halo and Hamilton’s helmet.
As the wheel pressed down on Hamilton’s helmet, it was clear that the Halo averted a potentially catastrophic outcome.
“The Halo definitely saved Lewis’ life today,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said afterward.
“It would have been a horrific accident, and I don’t even want to think about what might have happened without the Halo.”
Hamilton himself said: “I feel very, very fortunate today. Thank God for the Halo which saved me, and saved my neck.”
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4. Sarah Moore & Beitske Visser – W-Series, 2022, Spa-Francorchamps
Another non-F1 entry, proving just how successful the concept has been for the FIA.
In 2022, the female-only and now defunct W-Series experienced a six-car pile-up at Raidillon at Spa-Francorchamps, where Sarah Moore’s Halo deflected a wheel above her head, while Beitske Visser’s car ended up upside down.
Both drivers were protected by the device, and emerged unscathed.
“Given the crash, the worst could have happened quite easily,” Visser said afterwards. “Without the Halo, we believe there could have been multiple deaths.”
Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, Moore said: “Abbie [Eaton] came over the top of my car and the wheel of her car hit the Halo and it damaged the plastic part on top of my helmet.
“The Halo saved me from having a big blow to the head. I am very thankful for that. When accidents like that happen it goes to show why all these things were brought in.”
3. Roy Nissany – Formula 2, 2022, Silverstone
During the feature race of the 2022 British F2 round at Silverstone, Roy Nissany caused a moment which immediately led to him being involved in a significant crash.
Coming out of Stowe, Nissany pushed reigning Formula 3 Champion Dennis Hauger onto the grass as he defended against him, with Hauger losing his right-front wheel due to the impact.
Unable to control his car, Hauger skated across the grass approaching the upcoming left-hander and, launched into the air by a sausage kerb, collected Nissany’s car – directly at head level – in a terrifying T-bone impact.
Fortunately, the Halo device played a critical role in protecting Nissany during the crash, absorbing the impact and likely preventing serious injuries.
Amazingly, just a few hours later on the same day at Silverstone, Zhou Guanyu also escaped injury when he was involved in a collision with Mercedes’ George Russell.
The clash flipped Zhou’s car upside down and he skated across the tarmac of the track and escape area, inches from the ground, before being flipped over again into the crash barriers.
Zhou was unhurt in the horrifying accident, with closer images showing Zhou’s head avoiding contact with the ground as the Halo kept his car elevated just enough to prevent the Chinese driver from suffering any impact as his roll hoop had collapsed.
Russell, who climbed out of his car to run over to Zhou, described it as “one of the scariest crashes I’ve ever seen” while Zhou was taken to the Medical Centre for precautionary checks.
He later said: “I’m ok, all clear. Halo saved me today. Thanks everyone for your kind messages!”
1. Romain Grosjean – Formula 1, 2020, Bahrain
Romain Grosjean’s fiery crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix became one of the most dramatic moments in sports history, with anyone who witnessed it left with no doubt that the modern safety standards of Formula 1 had saved his life.
Remarkably, the French driver emerged with relatively minor injuries from an incident that would have almost certainly been fatal just three years earlier, pre-Halo.
On Lap 1, as he exited Turn 2, Grosjean misjudged a move in front of Daniil Kvyat from AlphaTauri, spinning his Haas and crashing head-on into the barriers at a sharp angle.
The impact was so severe that his car split in two, with the survival cell punching through the barrier while Grosjean was still inside. Enduring a 67G impact, he came to rest on the opposite side of the barrier, where the split fuel cell ignited.
Miraculously, he managed to escape the cockpit, vault over the flaming barriers, and distance himself from the wreckage before the adrenaline wore off.
Subsequent analysis revealed that, aside from the potential of being trapped in a burning inferno, the Halo device had played a crucial role as it pierced and bent the metal barriers away from Grosjean’s head, allowing his helmet to pass through unharmed. Without the Halo, he would likely have suffered fatal injuries.
Grosjean has openly reflected on the crash, referring to himself as a “phoenix” as he embraces a new chapter in life, one he believes would not have been possible without the Halo.
Initially skeptical about its necessity, he stated, “I wasn’t for the Halo some years ago, but I think it’s the greatest thing we brought to Formula 1. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to speak to you today.”
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