Alonso praises FIA safety advancesposted in F120 | 03 | 2016
FERNANDO ALONSO HAS praised the FIA for the advances in safety made over the last 15 years after remarkably walking away from a horrifying airborne crash in the Australian Grand Prix. The crash brought back memories of a similar high-speed impact suffered by Scot Allan McNish at Le Mans in 2011.
Minutes after the Australian crash, Alonso admitted he rushed to extricate himself from the wreckage because his mum was watching on TV.
The double Formula 1 world champion was dicing with Esteban Gutierrez when his front-right wheel clipped the rear-left of the Haas as the Mexican was braking for turn three.
The impact first pitched Alonso into the wall running alongside the circuit, ripping his front left wheel off and spearing him towards the gravel. As the car made contact with the gravel, it soared through the air before rolling and slamming into another wall. What was left of the McLaren eventually came to rest at 45-degrees leaning against a tyre wall.
Miraculously, after what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only a matter of seconds, Alonso emerged from the the wreckage. The Spaniard stood up straight, walked a few paces away from his car, then bent over with his hands on his knees as if absorbing how lucky he was to have survived.
Both Alonso and Gutierrez were immediately taken to the medical centre where they were passed fit. Within minutes, Alonso was in the media box giving interviews as if he'd just walked out of the shower, had breakfast and was ready to start the day.
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And the Spaniard — who ironically missed last year's Australian Grand Prix due to injuries sustained in a relatively low speed accident – has praised the huge advances made in F1, saying he is probably alive because of the FIA's improvements.
“Definitely, it was quite a big one,” he said. “We lost the possibility of points, probably lost the power unit because the car is destroyed, but I am happy here talking to you. I am thankful for the safety of the cars because I am alive due to the job of the last 10 or 15 years in F1
“You don't know exactly where you are because you just see the sky and the ground and then the sky,” he said as he reflected on the crash itself. “I didn't know where I was! I travelled a lot, it was quite scary. Good safety in F1 now and I want to say thanks to the FIA for their work in the last couple of years.”
And Alonso went on to joke that the reason he got out of the car so quickly was partly because he knew his mother would be watching worried at home. That said, he admits a potential halo cockpit protection device could have stopped him from doing so.
“Yeah… good point,” he continued. “I didn't think of that. We need to think of scenarios and the consequences. I went out of the car quick and easy and we need to see if there is a difference.
“The last point the car stopped and I thought I had to get out quickly because my mother is watching at home!”
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Jim McGill