George Russell’s slow start triggered contact with Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri, sending the Mercedes spinning into Zhou as it entered the Turn 1 right.

The collision with Rookie Week was enough to flip his car over, before it slid across tarmac on the roll cage and into a gravel pit.

The Alfa then flew through the tire barrier until it was blocked by a fence, although the car then fell between two safety devices, temporarily trapping Zhou in the cockpit.

Although Zhou was not injured, this season the FIA ​​has increased the severity of the roll cage crash test to reduce the possibility of the roll cage getting stuck.

This is achieved by reducing the height at which the revised certification test is applied. Further adjustments to the structure are expected in 2024.

Meanwhile, Silverstone modified the first corner runoff with a larger section of asphalt by removing the gravel bed (about 45 meters deep).

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 instead of gravel.

“It’s about keeping them from digging deeper. The real problem is digging deeper.”

New asphalt runoff at Turn 1

Photography: Mick Walker

F1 race plan in London Docklands ‘pointless’

A proposal to redevelop London’s docklands headlined by Formula 1 is “cobbler” and “meaningless”, according to Silverstone bosses.

There are several races at the F1 race in the British capital, including former series boss Bernie Ecclestone taking aim at the city center circuit featuring famous landmarks in the 2010s.

When Silverstone signed a new contract with Liberty Media in 2019, it included clauses to protect the historic venue should the London race come to fruition.

But the latest Docklands proposal has been called into question and its backers, the LDN Collective and DAR, have so far failed to get in touch with tournament organizers.

Royal Docks Grand Prix CGI

Photography: unconfirmed

Meanwhile, Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle doubts such a plan will receive enough funding to brand the concept as “pointless”.

Speaking to Autosport about renderings of the Docklands race, including floating grandstands and an elevated pit lane running through the ground floor of ExCeL, Pringle said: “[It]looks like another property developer is trying to sell their real estate give it to me.

“Who pays? I can tell you that it costs a lot of money to install it in a permanent facility.

“Our delivery costs are as low as possible. Formula 1 doesn’t give it for free.

“So. Who pays for this? Nobody seems to be answering that question. This one doesn’t hold water.

“We said 10 years ago that even then it would cost $50 million to put on a street race. It’s just cobblers.”