英国ＧＰで大クラッシュ　周冠宇はマシン上下逆さまも無事

【シルバーストーンＡＦＰ＝時事】３日に行われた２２Ｆ１第１０戦英国ＧＰ決勝では、スタート直後に複数台が絡む大クラッシュが発生し、アルファロメオの周冠宇（チョウ・グアンユー）はマシンが上下逆さまになったままグラベルを横切るという恐ろしいアクシデントに見舞われた。ルーキーの周は無傷のまま救出され、「Ｈａｌｏ（頭部保護装置）に救われた」とコメントした。（写真はクラッシュしたアルファロメオの周冠宇のマシン）
　タイヤバリアーをも越えてキャッチフェンスに衝突した周のマシンは、跳ね返って横向きのまま直立して止まった。大破したマシンに閉じ込められた周のもとにはマーシャルが駆けつけた。
　周がマシンから救出されるまで、クラッシュに関する詳細なリプレー映像はすぐには流れなかった。
　クラッシュの後、各ドライバーがピットに戻る中、専門チームによって救出されるまで周はマシンに閉じ込められたままだった。
　メルセデスＡＭＧのジョージ・ラッセル、アルピーヌのエステバン・オコン、アルファタウリの角田裕毅、ウィリアムズのアレクサンダー・アルボンも巻き込まれたこのクラッシュにより、レースは１時間の赤旗中断を強いられた。
　国際自動車連盟（ＦＩＡ）はその後、周は「命に別条はなく医療センターを後にしている」と発表した。
　その後、ピットに戻った周はツイッターを更新し、ファンに向けて「僕は大丈夫。異常なし。きょうはＨａｌｏに救われた。温かいメッセージを皆さんありがとう！」と記した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/07/05-14:03）

Zhou Guanyu said the halo safety device saved me today after he escaped uninjured from the horror multi-car smash at the start of Sunday's British Grand Prix.
Zhou's Alfa Romeo was catapulted upside down, the Chinese rookie's head saved by his car's roll hoop-halo as it skidded off across a gravel trap and over tyre barriers into the catch fencing, where it bounced back to finish semi-upright in a stationary position.
Marshalls rushed to Zhou trapped in his stricken car.
Detailed replays of the accident were not available immediately until Zhou had been rescued from his car.
The field filed back to the pits after the collision as a specialist extraction crew attended Zhou, who remained in his car, until he was lifted clear.
George Russell's Mercedes, Alpine's Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) and the Williams of Alex Albon were also involved in the pile-up that triggered a one hour red flag delay.
Other drivers including Russell climbed from their cars to assist Zhou following the collision.
In a radio statement, Alfa Romeo told Zhou's teammate Valtteri Bottas: Zhou is conscious, he is talking, there are no fractures. Considering the circumstances, he is pretty good, pretty well.
Albon was also taken to the medical centre before being transferred to Coventry Hospital by helicopter for further precautionary tracks.
The sport's ruling body the International Motoring Federation (FIA) advised that both drivers were conscious and were being checked over and evaluated.
They later announced that Zhou was in good health and has left the medical centre.
The normal speed for Formula One cars in that part of the circuit is around 240 kph.
In re-runs of the start, it appeared that Russell, starting eighth, moved to his right after a poor start and collided with Zhou's Alfa Romeo as the pair strove to stay ahead of Pierre Gasly.
This triggered Zhou's wild excursion off-circuit and dragged other cars into further less serious multiple collisions around them.
He later returned to the pits to watch Carlos Sainz register his maiden F1 win, tweeting to his fans: I'm ok, all clear. Halo saved me today. Thanks everyone for your kind messages!
This was not the first collision in which the 'halo' device was instrumental in saving a driver from serious injury on Sunday -- Roy Nissany survived after another car driven by Dennis Hauger landed on top of his cockpit in which he was saved by the halo in the Formula 2 race. Both escaped unhurt.
Last season Lewis Hamilton had singled out the halo for saving him from serious harm after Max Verstappen's Red Bull ended up on top of his cockpit in a scary incident at Monza.