SEPTEMBER 2017 | MANE AUTOMOTIVE, F1 & MOTORSPORT | 13
Formula 1 to
Introduce Halo Cockpit
Protection for 2018 Season
drivers will have added protection on their vehicles during the 2018 F1 Season. The "halo" cockpit head protection system will make its debut next year at the Australian
Grand Prix. The new system is mandatory for all vehicles and will protect drivers from flying debris like loose tires. The device will be a T-Bone shaped device that wraps from the front of the cockpit and along the sides, protecting the driver from all sides.
The move comes on the heels of F1 driver Jules Bianchi's death in July 2015. Bianchi was involved in an accident nine months prior at the Japanese Grand Prix and was in a coma up until his death. The halo device is just one of many form factors that were tested by the FIA, F1's governing body. Engineers had been developing and testing several designs
before the halo system was chosen. The first
iterations of the halo were tested prior to the start of the 2016 F1 Season and was met with harsh criticism by fans and drivers.
Most of the criticism the halo system faced was due to aesthetics. Fans and drivers believed the halo didn't look "right" on the vehicles. Fortunately, teams will be allowed to change the colour of the halo to match team colours and they're free to put livery's on the device as well. With customisation available for the teams, the halo should blend more seamlessly into the vehicle. The halo will be a single piece manufactured by one, yet to be chosen, company so all teams will have to use it on their vehicles.
Other form factors tested included the "shield", a transparent pane of polycarbonate that acted as a windshield for the vehicle. 2016 F1 Champion, Sebastien Vettel, was critical of the shield saying that it made him dizzy after testing the device.
Although rife with criticism for its aesthetics, the new halo system should not disrupt driver vision in any way. ■
courtesy the autosport youtube channel
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