Zhou Guanyu Weibo."I'm fine, I'm lucky to be able to stand here, Halo saved me today. Thank you for your concern for me." In the early morning of July 4, after a serious rollover accident at the F1 UK Grand Prix, Zhou Guanyu sent a message to everyone through his personal social media. Reported peace.
After Zhou Guanyu was checked, he returned to the F1 paddock.In the screenshot, Zhou Guanyu said that Halo saved him, and the entry "Halo system has made a contribution again" also instantly became the number one searched.So, what exactly is a Halo system?
The Halo systemadds a titanium bezel in front of thedriver's cockpit.The Halo system is dubbed "flip-flops" by fans because of its appearance - Halo is a system designed to providedriverswith adequate head protection in open-wheel races dominated by formula racing.It is mainly used to protect thedriverfrom flying debris and retains the open cockpit typical of formula cars.
Tests have shown that the Halo system can withstand a static load of 15 times the mass of the vehicle itself in the event of a car-to-car collision, which can significantly reduce potential injuries.
That is to say, this 7kg component can withstand a shock force of about 12 tons and is the strongest part of the whole car.In the official description of F1, there is a more vivid metaphor - bearing the weight of a double-decker bus.
Plus, in vehicle-to-environment testing, the Halo prevents the helmet from coming into contact with walls or obstacles.The Halo head protection system is made of titanium alloy and has been introduced to F1 since the 2018 season, but it was full of opposition at the beginning.
Since the Halo increases the weight by 7 kg, and the stability of the vehicle's center of gravity and the bearing capacity of the chassis are affected due to the appearance design, the cost of debugging and research and development of each team is increased.
From an aerodynamic point of view, Halo also changes the kinetic energy of the downstream airflow, especially the rear wing... It is even more suspected that adding Halo will increase the driver's escape time from the cockpit.
The Halo system is dubbed "flip-flops" by car fans because of its appearance.At that time, the manager of the Mercedes-Benz team complained, "If there is a chance, I want to use a saw to saw off Halo." Drivers including Alonso also expressed their dislike of Halo, thinking that Optional.But then, Halo really began his life-saving journey.
In the 2020 F1 Bahrain race, Haas driver Grosjean's car lost control and crashed into the guardrail, the cockpit caught fire, and the car was broken in two, but Halo, the strongest part of the entire body, was not damaged, and the driver only fractured his ribs , with minor burns.
"Halo is the greatest invention," Grosjean said afterwards.
Accidents from Grosjean to Zhou Guanyu prove that Halo is extremely important to motorsport.There are also fans who said that Bianchi used his life in exchange for the determination of the F1 world to develop Halo.
