‘Saved me’: Zhou Guanyu survives horror upside down crash at British Grand Prix

F1 rookie Zhou Guanyu has miraculously survived a horror crash at the British Grand Prix, with one piece of equipment saving his life.

NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: Zhou Guanyu of China driving the (24) Alfa Romeo F1 C42 Ferrari crashes at the start during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone on July 03, 2022 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Rookie driver Zhou Guanyu has survived one of the more terrifying crashes in recent memory at the British Grand Prix that had the F1 world holding its breath.

The crash occurred on the very first lap of the race on Monday morning (AEST) when Zhou was accidentally clipped by Mercedes’ George Russell on the opening corner at Silverstone.

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Zhou’s car flipped upside down, sliding off the track and across the gravel at full speed before landing sideways on the catch fencing.

Russell also flew off the track and got out of his car immediately and ran over to Zhou’s car to check on him.

Williams’ Alex Albon was also taken to hospital for further medical assessment but was cleared of major injuries.

There were serious concerns for Zhou’s welfare but he was eventually extracted from his Alfa Romeo, put on a stretcher and assessed at the medical centre.

Thankfully he was conscious and was later cleared of any major injuries and released from the medical centre.

WATCH THE CRASH IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE

Zhou Guanyu’s goes aerial on the opening corner at Silverstone. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

The halo saved his life. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Spot the helmet. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)

The halo, the protective barrier that surrounds the driver’s head area, prevented Zhou’s helmet from scraping along the ground and likely saved his life.

The race was red flagged and after a long delay, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz eventually claimed his maiden victory in his 150th Grand Prix ahead of Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton.

Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo finished 13th in another forgettable result.

Zhou posted a selfie on Twitter after the race to reassure fans he was OK, reiterating the “halo saved me today”.

I’m ok, all clear. Halo saved me today. Thanks everyone for your kind messages! pic.twitter.com/OylxoJC4M0

— 周冠宇 | Zhou Guanyu 🇨🇳 (@ZhouGuanyu24) July 3, 2022

In a sight that will make F1 fans breathe a sigh of relief, the Chinese driver was seen walking around the paddock under his own steam.

Great to see @ZhouGuanyu24 in the paddock after the race 👏 #F1#BritishGPpic.twitter.com/oySGzRnqx9

— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) July 3, 2022

The images of Zhou’s car upside down and his body squished in his car between the halo and the fencing are breathtaking.

Remarkable. pic.twitter.com/TQWCd00h2L

— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) July 3, 2022

Into the gravel upside down. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)

It took some effort to get him out of there. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)

Zhou’s car was destroyed. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)

Amid the carnage of Zhou’s horror crash, it emerged several protesters had made their way onto the track during the opening lap.

Had the race not been red flagged, they may well have been sitting ducks on the second lap.

Local police were expecting the protesters, who were swiftly removed from the track.

Sky Sports commentator David Croft said: “On that first lap when we had the red flag, there were several people who attempted to enter the track here at Silverstone.

“Those people were immediately removed. The matter is now being dealt with by the local authorities.

“It seems a few got onto the track. There efforts came to absolutely nothing and the race had been red flagged by that stage.

“To enter a racetrack, whatever your cause, seems to me to be utterly, utterly ludicrous.”