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Maybe. It certainly explains why his head didn't snap clean off but just thought the forces on impact through his chest and torso might have been enough to knock him out. Remarkable that he was able to undo belts, hans, etc. and get out pretty much unaided, whilst on fire, after a hit like that.
ElGonzo-
And damn lucky. Hopefully FIA will think the same as us and not become complacent about improving pilot safety.
If anyone’s gonna survive that sort of impact, though, it’ll be a fighter jet pilot or an F1 pilot. Not sure if I’ve posted it here, but my favourite explanation of the incredible calibre of these athletes is that the most extreme roller coaster in the world creates g forces below the average F1 race turn. Or something like that, point is these guys cope with those rollercoaster forces repeatedly during a race while manoeuvring cars that are more powerful, more sensitive and more aerodynamic than anything the layperson will ever experience.
Edit- can’t remember original sources for my numbers, but info I found today says average turn is 4-6G, top g forces above 8G.
Adhiero
Hans device?
Maybe also the absorption materials in the helmet?