LONDON, 4 Jul. (dpa/EP) –
Chinese driver Guanyu Zhou will return to his Alfa Romeo at next weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, just five days after being involved in one of the most spectacular accidents in recent times in Formula 1.
The 23-year-old rookie revealed he is “more eager than ever” to get back behind the wheel of his car after emerging unscathed from a horrific first-corner crash at Silverstone.
Zhou ended up trapped between the row of tires and a metal fence after his car overturned and lost control at more than 250 kilometers per hour after touching the single-seater of the British George Russell (Mercedes).
But after he was pulled from a wrecked car and taken to the on-track medical center, the FIA declared Zhou medically fit. It is not anticipated that he will have to undergo any further testing to prove that he is ready to compete next weekend.
“Hello everyone and thanks for all the kind messages,” Zhou tweeted Monday. “I want to thank the stewards and the medical team at Silverstone, they were really fantastic. I’m looking forward to getting back on track more than ever. See you in Austria,” she added.
Numerous videos posted on social media by shocked fans in the Abbey grandstand captured the force of the crash. Zhou’s mishap marked an explosive start to the Silverstone race, which also saw five people storm the track; the protesters, from the group ‘Just Stop Oil’, had regular tickets.
Former England striker Gary Lineker supported climate change activists who were detained by the police. “If it’s not too late, history will look back very favorably on these people,” he tweeted.
Former pilot Martin Brundle responded to his post. “Gary, please don’t encourage this reckless behavior. They would have been smashed into 100 pieces and the fans, operators and pilots would have been at total risk of injury and death. We already had a lucky ending. I 100% support the freedom of expression and opinion, but I do it responsibly,” he said.