Lewis Hamilton’s life “saved” by his Ferrari after crash during the US Grand Prix (Photo: Instagram)
Lewis Hamilton had his life “saved” by his Ferrari after the vehicle’s halo protected his face from being hit by flying debris.
The Formula 1 driver was behind Oscar Piastri and Nico Hulkenberg during the US Grand Prix race when the duo ahead of him collided in the first corner.
Piastri and Hulkenberg were then thrown into Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris, a collision that sent pieces of the car flying into the air.
In a recording of the tense scene, it was visible that part of the debris was heading directly toward Hamilton.
Fortunately, Hamilton’s Ferrari protected him, as the vehicle parts hit the halo and were redirected elsewhere before they could strike him in the face.
Hamilton was able to continue the race and finish in fourth place, earning five points. “I managed to avoid the drama on the first corner, just barely. I didn’t position my car very well,” he told Sky Sports F1.
“I saw Alonso on the inside, so I moved a bit to the right and left the door open for Charles. There’s still a lot to improve. Other than that, the start was good.”
The halo became mandatory in all Formula 1 cars in 2018 and was designed to withstand 15 times the static load of an F1 car and a 20 kg wheel traveling at 225 km/h, according to Racecar Engineering.
The magazine Motorsport further explained that the halos act as a shield to deflect or absorb impact forces during accidents and are typically made from “a titanium alloy known as Grade 5 6AL4V, an aerospace-grade material.”
The halo on Hamilton’s Ferrari was widely praised on social media. “That prevented a potentially horrible crash,” said one user. “Glad Lewis is fine. That could have left him unconscious or seriously injured,” said another.
“Can we even comprehend the magnitude of this? It could have ended the career of a seven-time world champion. Thank God for the halo,” commented a third.
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Photo and video: Instagram @lewishamilton / YouTube @MyF1Obsession. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
