George Russell’s slow launch triggered contact with Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri, causing the Mercedes to spin into Zhou as it approached the Turn 1 right.
The collision with rookie Zhou was enough to flip his car, and it then slid across the asphalt on its roll cage before digging through the gravel trap.
The Alfa then lifted off to clear the tire barrier until it was stopped to catch up to the fencing, though the car then fell between two safety devices, temporarily trapping Zhou in the cockpit.
While Zhou was uninjured, this season the FIA has increased the severity of the crash tests used in the roll hoop to reduce the likelihood of it becoming trapped.
This is achieved by reducing the altitude to which the revised certification test will be applied. Further adjustments to the structure are expected in 2024.
Silverstone meanwhile modified the first corner runoff by removing the gravel bed (approximately 45m deep) and replacing it with a larger section
Silverstone general manager Stuart Pringle told Motorsport.com: “We’ve done a lot of work this winter. There’s a big patch of asphalt up front, not gravel.
” This is to stop They dig in. The real problem there is digging the drill. “
number 1 New asphalt runoff at the bend
Photo: Mick Walker
London F1 Docklands race plan ‘pointless’
London Docklands redevelopment proposal headlined by Formula 1 race is ” cobbler” and Silverstone bosses thought it “doesn’t make sense”. The 2010s.
When Silverstone signed a new contract with Liberty Media in 2019, it included Clauses to protect historic grounds should the tournament come to fruition.
But the latest Docklands proposal has been called into question, with its backers, the LDN Collective and DAR, so far not in touch with tournament organizers.
Royal Dock Grand Prix CGI
Image source: Uncredited
Meanwhile, Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle is skeptical that such plans will have enough financial backing to support branding the concept as “pointless”.
with Motorsport.com Commenting on the rendering of the Docklands race, which includes floating grandstands and an elevated pit lane that runs through the first floor of ExCeL, Pringle said: “[It] looks like another property developer is trying to sell me their property deal.
“Who pays for this? I can tell you that it costs a lot of money to install on a permanent installation.
“We deliver as low a cost as possible. Formula 1 doesn’t give it away for free.
“So. Who pays for this? No one seems to answer that question. It makes no sense.
” 10 years ago, we used to say that even in Back then, it cost $50 million to host a street race. It’s just cobblers. ”
