SAVED BY THE HALO
Leclerc in miracle escape after Alonso’s car flies up and bounces on top of him
FERNANDO Alonso’s skid marks were implanted on a prong of titanium close to the head of 20-yearold Charles Leclerc. And the race went on.
The ‘ halo’ — a metal frame protecting the cockpit and weighing 1st 1lb yet able to hold the weight of a double-decker bus — made the first save of its Formula One involvement as the Belgian Grand Prix, won by Sebastian Vettel, started with a bang.
The Renault of Nico Hulkenberg locked up at the opening corner of the race, rammed into the back of Alonso’s McLaren, which was sent airborne. The McLaren then skimmed the top of Leclerc’s Sauber, leaving that rubber print as a chilling calling card.
Alonso’s car landed on its rear left tyre, pitched on to its front wheels and scrunched its nose as it thudded the ground, before resting, thankfully the right way up, at the side of the track.
There is a chance that without the halo, Leclerc, a Monegasque competing in his 13th race in his rookie season, would have been seriously injured, or worse.
He knows all about the dangers, for he is the godson of the last man to have been killed in Formula One, Jules Bianchi. That death, following a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka four years ago, prompted the governing body, the FIA, to devise new and clever ways to save lives. Hence the halo.
Leclerc walked away and, having changed into jeans, lolled by the Sauber pit wall as he watched the race unfold without him.
First, he had to complete his drugs test, of all things. By now his mother, Pascale, was bombarding his telephone with frantic messages to ascertain his state of health.
While he was busy with a urine bottle, his physio sent her the photos that proved he was fine.
A few hours later, Leclerc was back in the Sauber motorhome as the Spa paddock was being packed up, and reflecting on his good fortune. ‘I have been lucky,’ he said.
‘It went all very quickly and in the moment you don’t realise what is happening. I knew it was an orange car and I guessed it was Fernando passing over me.
‘I felt the impact and looking at the image it is quite spectacular.
‘I got quite a lot of messages. My mum called me a lot of times. Everyone was quite worried. But my mum was calm when I had her on the phone. “Are you OK?” she asked, like any mother, I guess. These cars are so safe.’
He reported that he was not even bruised and seemed surprised he was not being asked the usual post-race questions about tyre compounds. Leclerc (right), like Bianchi before him, is part of the Ferrari stable. Last year’s Formula Two champion, he was even tipped for a drive in the red team next season.
That is not likely to happen, however, with Kimi Raikkonen expected to remain Sebastian Vettel’s No 2 for 2019. But at least Leclerc will have a chance of promotion in coming seasons, something that was taken away from Bianchi at the age of 25. Hulkenberg was called to the stewards to explain his error. The officials announced he would be sent 10 places down the grid at the next race in Monza on Sunday. ‘ The driver of car 27 stated that he completely misjudged the situation and freely admitted it was his mistake,’ said the FIA statement. Alonso was less understanding than the stewards, saying: ‘ Nico missed the braking point and he played bowling with us. The drivers think it is the last corner of the championship and it has a high consequence. You think they would have a higher level to drive in this series. ‘I flew over Charles’s car and the halo was a very good thing to have today. We didn’t have any doubts about it, but this accident shows it offers good protection. The replay showed that beyond doubt.’
Hulkenberg, who still had not spoken to Leclerc several hours later, said: ‘When I hit the brakes, it locked up the front wheels and I slid. These cars are aerodynamically sensitive, especially with cars bunching up ahead as you lose a lot of grip and load.
‘I have to admit it caught me by surprise today. It was probably a misjudgment from my side as I was a bit late on the brakes, so it’s frustrating for me, the team and the other drivers caught up in the incident.
‘That’s racing and unfortunately these things happen.’
More prosaically, the accident brought about a safety car phase by which time Lewis Hamilton had surrendered the lead his pole position briefly afforded him.
The Briton appeared slightly unsteady coming out of the towering Eau Rouge corner and was passed on the Kemmel Straight by Vettel’s fundamentally faster Ferrari.
Hamilton poked the nose of his Mercedes right on Vettel’s tail at the restart, but could not make the attempted pass stick. Vettel, in control thereafter, finished 11 seconds ahead of Hamilton in second place with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen third, a further 20 adrift.
It was Vettel’s 52nd win of his career, taking him past Alain Prost and reduced his deficit to Hamilton in the drivers’ standings to 17 points with eight rounds remaining.
But the significance of the mathematics was put in its place by Leclerc’s miracle of scientific deliverance.