F1 News
Silverstone adjusts circuit after huge crash Zhou Guanyu
- GPblog.com
Zhou Guanyu's crash, which landed him against the fences of the Silverstone circuit, was probably the biggest crash of the '22 season. To prevent a repeat, Silverstone' s owner made major changes to the track during the winter period.
Guanyu's accident was terrifying. Russell hit the Chinese, who then flipped his Alfa Romeo over and skidded across the tarmac on his rollbar before slotting through the gravel pit. Guanyu then flew into the air with his car, only to get stuck behind the tyre pile after hitting the fences.
'A lot of work done'
Following the crash, the FIA tightened crash tests for the rollbar to reduce the chances of a car digging into the gravel. Meanwhile, Silverstone adjusted the drainage at the first corner by removing the gravel pit (which was about 45 metres deep) and replacing it with a larger piece of asphalt.
Silverstone director Stuart Pringle told Motorsport.com about the modifications: "We've done a load of work this winter. There's a big piece of asphalt out the front rather than the gravel. This is to stop them digging in. It's the digging in bit that was the real issue there", he looked back at Guanyu's crash.