Zhou Guanyu feared being trapped upside down in his burning car after his horror crash at the British Grand Prix… as the Alfa Romeo driver is given the green light by F1 medics to race in Austria this weekend
- Zhou Guanyu has been given the green light to race at the Austrian Grand Prix
- The Alfa Romeo was checked by F1 medics following his crash at Silverstone
- Zhou’s car skidded upside down before flipping over the tyre wall on Sunday
- It smashed into the outside fence leaving the 23-year-old trapped in his cockpit
Zhou Guanyu has spoken for the first time about his horrifying crash at Silverstone on Sunday, admitting he does not know how he survived it.
A record 142,000 crowd at Silverstone watched horrified as Zhou’s Alfa Romeo collided with George Russell and produced one of the most dangerous crashes ever witnessed at the British Grand Prix.
The Chinese driver went flying off on the opening corner upside down, leaving a streak of golden sparks as he hit the tyre wall and bounced into the catch fence before being trapped between the two barriers.
Zhou Guanyu has been given the green light to race at the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend
Spectators in the Abbey grandstand — members and guests of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, who own the circuit — ducked for cover from flying debris, or worse.
Zhou, 23, was cut out of his Alfa Romeo and miraculously escaped practically unharmed, but not before fearing he might go up in flames.
‘Once I stopped I didn’t know where I was because I was upside down,’ said Zhou on Thursday.
A crane was required to remove Zhou’s car (above) after it flipped over the protective tyres
‘The next thing I felt was some leaking. I wasn’t sure if it was from my body or the car, so I just tried to switch off the engine.
‘I knew that if a fire started it would be difficult to get out. I don’t know how I survived. I don’t think you get much bigger than that.’
Zhou is delighted to be straight back in action at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, so that he doesn’t replay the 160mph accident over and over in his mind.
‘Finished the final medical check, all good to go!’ he wrote on social media.
‘Thanks to all of the people who supported me during this time, means the world.’
‘Already on Sunday I watched the race back. I didn’t feel sick watching it or have that feeling’, he said.
Zhou’s Alfa Romeo car flew across the gravel several times at Silverstone on Sunday
‘I feel like I was able to digest a bit myself, so I was happy mentally just having one day off and then went back into checking my physical condition. For me it wasn’t a concern.
‘Obviously there are times you do something and you need a bit of mental help, but this time I didn’t feel it was needed.’
Zhou added: ‘Sunday night I was texting all my engineers asking, is my seat OK? For drivers the seat is very important. It’s been very comfortable so far, but it can be different even if they try to do the same.’
The blockbuster race was delayed by 53 minutes after the horror crash from the race start
Zhou’s car flipped before being caught between the tyre wall and the fence at Silverstone
Lewis Hamilton, who opposed the introduction of the titanium halo that sits above a driver’s head and which Zhou credits for sparing him, has changed his mind four years on.
The seven-time world champion said: ‘It also saved my life last year (at Monza).
‘There are still areas to improve — a car getting stuck behind a barrier, and a driver getting stuck in the cockpit. It’s a reminder that this is a dangerous sport.’
Qualifying takes place today, with a sprint race tomorrow.
Chinese driver Zhou took to social media to confirm the halo had saved him
