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F1 Australian GP: I am alive because of F1 safety advances – Alonso

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 Spaniard was dicing with Esteban Gutierrez when he clipped the back of the Haas as the Mexican was braking for turn three, Alonso sent into slamming into the alongside wall, before the car was skewed sideways towards the gravel trap.

With the MP4-31 digging in, the car was sent into a terrifying barrel roll before coming to rest against the barrier on the cockpit-side. Despite this, Alonso scrambled out of the destroyed car quickly and walked away, much to the relief of viewers.

Stopping the race to clear the large debris area, Alonso - along with Gutierrez, who was also forced to retire - passed his medical test and has been declared fit.

Indeed, the Spaniard - who 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 discussing 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."

Alonso went on to joke that the reason he got out of the car do 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!" 

Zdroj: crash.net