Halo saved Leclerc from potential injury in Belgium

Joas van Wingerden Thursday 6 December 2018 11:27

Halo saved Leclerc from potential injury in Belgium

Charles Leclerc was saved from having the front wing of Fernando Alonso's McLaren make contact with his helmet by the halo on his Sauber in the huge crash at the start of this year's Belgian Grand Prix, an FIA investigation has determined.

Alonso was pitched into the air after being rear-ended by Nico Hulkenberg and he skated across the top of Leclerc's car before coming to a rest at turn two.

Article continues under video

Though the incident was among the more eye-catching crashes in F1 this year, both drivers walked away unharmed.

F1 released incredible on-board footage from the incident which suggested that Leclerc had had a narrow escape and the FIA's findings suggest the halo played a significant role in saving the Monegasque from potential injury.

WOW ???? ???? ???? ????#BelgianGP ???????? #F1 @Charles_Leclerc pic.twitter.com/GOy3Jfszhd — Formula 1 (@F1) August 27, 2018

"From the available data and video footage, we are confident that the wheel would not have hit Leclerc's helmet," the FIA's Safety Director Adam Baker told Autosport.

"But, as Alonso's car continued to yaw relative to Leclerc's, we believe that Alonso's front wing endplate would have just contacted Leclerc's visor.

"It is difficult to predict the severity of the contact with any precision though."

According to Autosport, the investigation found that the impact on Leclerc's halo exerted roughly half the force that the safety device has been designed to withstand.

MORE: Did Halo delay Hulkenberg's escape after Abu Dhabi crash?
MORE: FIA move to curb F1 grid penalty farce

Latest News

Lando Norris

Norris RETURNS F1 rival’s secret Santa gift

59 minutes ago

F1 Superstars

Hamilton SNUBBED by F1 rivals in crushing Verstappen defeat

Today 14:59

Christmas Feature

F1 2024 stars reimagined as ICONIC Christmas movie characters

Today 10:57

F1 Off The Track

F1 star teases driver replacement in 2025 reveal

Yesterday 22:58

F1 News & Gossip

Horner declares Hamilton relationship ‘STALE’ following split

Yesterday 18:58

F1 Social

F1 star gets NEW drive for Christmas

Yesterday 14:58

More news

F1 News 24/7

Races

About GPFans

GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.

We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.

With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.

Follow us on your favorite social media channel

Corporate & Media

Innovatieweg 20C
7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860

CHOOSE YOUR COUNTRY