One of the most terrifying crashes you will ever see ended with a shower of debris and, remarkably, little more than a cut to the ankle for Kevin Magnussen. After losing control at 180mph coming out of the fearsome Eau Rouge corner, Magnussen speared into the tyre barrier, leaving many fearing the worst. But the Dane walked away with only minor injuries.
Magnussen was taken first to the medical centre at Spa-Francorchamps, before being taken to hospital in Verviers, around 15 miles away, for precautionary checks.
The 23-year-old was shaken after the colossal impact, but is expected to be fit to race in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza next weekend.
His condition is testament to the major improvements that have been made to safety in Formula One over the last two decades, particularly since the death of Ayrton Senna in 1994.
As with Fernando Alonso's horrific shunt in Melbourne at the start of this season, it is hard to imagine any driver emerging with life and limbs intact if the accident had happened 20 or 30 years ago.
Frederic Vasseur, the Renault team principal, said: "He has a small cut on the ankle - he had an X-ray and things look OK."
In a statement while the race was continuing, the team said: "Kevin Magnussen ran wide at the exit of Eau Rouge and made heavy contact with the barriers. He left the car
unaided and was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks. He is fully conscious and responsive. He has a small cut to the left ankle and has been escorted to a nearby hospital for further routine checks."
The accident had immediately prompted the stewards to bring out the safety car, pausing the race two laps later to repair the barriers, so heavy was the impact. After a 15-minute delay, the race resumed, Magnussen having limped away from the scene.
The one concern from the accident was that the driver's head rest came flying as Magnussen careered into the barriers.
Although Jules Bianchi's death last year, following his collision with a recovery tractor in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, shook the sport, many consider it to have been a freak accident.
The debate now rages on about whether head protection should be improved further.
A number of drivers tested the 'halo' device in practice before the Belgian Grand Prix, and a majority are in favour. However, its introduction was postponed after a meeting of the sport's so-called strategy group last month. The plan remains for it to be added to the cars for the 2018 season.
Despite speculation that Magnussen's accident may have been caused by a cut to a tyre, driver error seemed more likely.
The 23-year-old is fighting for his future with Renault, having already been dumped out of Formula One once before - by McLaren - at the end of 2014.
The Dane expects to discover his fate next month, and the opportunity to return and impress at Monza on Sunday would be a welcome one.
After his retirement, Magnussen's team-mate, Jolyon Palmer, fell down the field from as high as seventh. The 25-year-old Englishman, also without a seat secured for 2017, ended up 15th.
