![]() 'It is just the latest in a long series of innovations by the sport to try and make sure the driver's head is well protected. ![]() But, there is no doubt that this design of head protection will stop the driver being subjected to some very rare, but very real risks to their life. In certain angles, there is bodywork in his line of sight. 'The driver will find it harder to get out of the car as quickly as they did previously. And, in fact, this design in small ways increases certain, specific risks," James says. "The Halo doesn't remove all risk from Formula One - nothing can. While the Halo's introduction has divided opinion, the aim and target of the device is clear to see and it's an important step forward in driver safety. "What we are aiming to do here is to make sure the wake of the Halo does not affect the smooth running and powerful performance of the engine, and to make sure it is designed so that it does not damage the behaviour of the rear wing." ![]() We are permitted to fit an aerodynamic fairing around it, which gives us a certain amount of scope to mitigate the effect it has on the aerodynamics of the car. "This unadorned, round tube is quite bad aerodynamically, so we are all permitted to modify the Halo in a way that will be individual for each team. The basic Halo is a standard part - identical for every team. "In addition to the challenges posed by the Halo for the mass of the car and the strength of the chassis, there is also a significant aerodynamic challenge. But this wasn't the only tough task designers were faced with when creating the new cars, as it also impacts the aerodynamics of the car, too. 'We had to strengthen the design of the chassis so that it would be able to take roughly the weight of a London double-decker bus sitting on top of the Halo, to make sure it would be strong enough to withstand the type of event it is designed to protect the driver's head against.'į1 has increased the weight limit by six kilograms for 2018 to accommodate the Halo. It is several kilograms of titanium that need to be put on the car. But, back here, adopting it has been a significant challenge. There was a lot of regulatory detail that needed to be cleared up. 'There was a huge amount of work not just for Mercedes but also the whole sport to do in order to be ready for the start of the new season. 'Although the Halo has been floating around as an idea for Formula One for some time, the final confirmation it would be part of the 2018 regulation set was quite late - in around July last year - so three or four months later than we would normally finalise the regulations for the new season,' explains Technical Director, James Allison. However, following feedback from that initial run, a decision was made to bring the Halo back as the leading option for a cockpit protection device and development continued in order to improve and enhance the design ahead of its arrival. Early in 2017, the Shield became the apparent favoured option and made a brief race weekend appearance at Silverstone. But mid-way through 2016 it was agreed to postpone its introduction to 2018 in order to conduct further research.ĭuring this time, other methods were also being considered, including what became known as the 'Aeroscreen' and a similar device called the 'Shield' (a curved windscreen in front of the cockpit). It underwent various on and off-track tests, including FP1 appearances at race weekends. One month later, the F1 Strategy Group and F1 Commission confirmed its adoption from 2017 onwards.Īt this time, the Halo was the preferred choice - a titanium roll cage placed over the cockpit to minimise the risk of drivers being struck by debris. The incidents also prompted the Grand Prix Drivers' Association to request some form of cockpit protection be introduced "as swiftly as possible". The FIA - motorsport's governing body - was already several years into researching cockpit protection methods before a number of tragic incidents accelerated development and testing. Head protection in single-seater racing has been a prominent topic within the motorsport community for some time, with the cockpit being the only area of the car where drivers are exposed.
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