Motorsports

UPDATE: Formula 1 Halo protector surely saved a life at Belgian Grand Prix

The race could have ended far worse for Charles Leclerc

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The hotly-debated F1 halo cockpit protection structure got much attention over the weekend, as the one mounted on Charles Leclerc's Sauber appears to have successfully deflected Fernando Alonso's McLaren from hitting Leclerc on a first-lap incident at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The scrapes on the Sauber's halo work well to convert former disbelievers into supporting the structure. There is a real chance Leclerc could have been seriously hurt or killed in the crash, but as it happened, the incident only meant the end of the race for Leclerc, not a season, career or life.

The image tweeted by the official F1 account speaks volumes:


Later, F1 tweeted this pretty wild 360-degree video from Leclerc's car:

And as "Top Gear" presenter Chris Harris tweeted:


Back when the season began, the Mercedes-Benz F1 team announced that the halo on the Mercedes car is strong enough to bear the weight of a double-decker London bus. As well as flying debris, detached wheels — and entire flying Formula 1 cars.

 

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