Halo (safety device)

The halo system on a Ferrari SF71H driven by Kimi Räikkönen during pre-season testing in February 2018.

The halo is a driver crash protection system used in open-wheel racing series which consists of a curved bar placed to protect the driver's head.

The system was introduced for the first time in 2015 and became mandatory according to FIA homologation and regulation from 2018. The first tests with the prototypes equipped with the system were carried out in 2016 and in July 2017. Since the 2018 season the FIA has made the halo mandatory on every vehicle in Formula 1 and Formula 2 as a new safety measure.[1]

Construction

The system consists of a bracket that surrounds the driver's head and is connected at three points to the vehicle frame. The component is made of titanium and weighed around 7 kilograms in the version presented in 2016. The weight rose to 9 kilograms in 2017.

The system is not developed by the teams, but is carried out by an external manufacturer chosen by the FIA and is the same for all vehicles.

In a simulation performed by the FIA, using the data of 40 real incidents, the use of the system led to a 17% increase in the survival rate of the driver.

History and development

The halo system is based on a Mercedes project; the development work of the simulator was performed by Anthony Davidson. After a one-year delay in January 2017, the FIA announced that the development of the system had been completed and was ready for use.

The FIA for development examined three fundamental scenarios: the collision between two vehicles, a contact between a vehicle and the surrounding environment (such as barriers), and collisions with vehicles and debris. Tests have shown that the halo system is able to significantly reduce the risk of injury to the driver. Moreover, in many cases, the system was able to prevent the helmet from coming into contact with a barrier using a series of accidents that had already occurred as a reference. During the study of the last case it was found that halo is able to deviate large objects and also provide greater protection against smaller debris.

The system is not only used in Formula 1, but also in all the FIA formula classes. However, as vehicles will have to be redesigned to introduce this system, for many classes the new generation of single-seater for the introduction will have to wait.

In August 2017, the Dallara F2 2018, a new Formula 2 car, was presented and was the first to install the halo system. In January 2018 Formula E presented the new car, named SRT05e, which also incorporated the halo into its design.

Alternative systems

As an alternative to the halo system, Red Bull Racing developed the "aeroscreen". The design, which was similar to a small fairing, did not receive much interest from the FIA. After the drivers had expressed their opposition to the introduction of the halo system, the FIA developed "shield", a polyvinyl chloride windscreen based on the airbrush concept.[2]

Sebastian Vettel was the first and only driver to try the shield. During the free practice for the 2017 British Grand Prix, he completed a lap with the new system before ending the test early. He complained of a distorted and blurred vision that prevented him from driving.[3] Its introduction was subsequently excluded, partly because the teams did not have enough time to test and study the shield.

Reception

The system has aroused some criticism, including that of Niki Lauda who claimed that this system distorts the "essence of racing cars".[4] Also, the system proved unpopular among fans. For instance, an unofficial online poll among users on the Autosport website showed that around three quarters of the voters were against the halo.[5] Other former drivers, including Jackie Stewart, welcomed the system and compared it to the introduction of safety belts that had caused the same criticism and then became the norm also on large-scale road cars.[6]

Despite its initial criticism, the halo would start to get a welcoming praise by the community following two incidents where the halo got struck by another car: one in the Formula 2 race at Catalunya where Tadasuke Makino's halo got landed on by fellow countryman Nirei Fukuzumi's car and one in the Belgian Grand Prix where Charles Leclerc's halo got struck by Fernando Alonso's airborne McLaren, with both of their halo's showing visible impact damage from the impact with Fukuzumi and Alonso's car respectively. Both Makino and Leclerc credited the halo for possibly saving their lives, while Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who has spoken about his criticism against the halo earlier in the season, admitted that the halo had proved itself following Leclerc's incident.[7][8]

References

  1. ↑ "The FIA approves Formula 1's first supplier to the Halo". F1i.com. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  2. ↑ "F1 | FIA working on Halo alternative 'Shield' - FP English". FormulaPassion.it (in Italian). 8 April 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  3. ↑ "Vettel says Shield made him "dizzy" in test run". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  4. ↑ Noble, Jonathan. "Niki Lauda: Halo destroys efforts to boost Formula 1's popularity". Autosport.com. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  5. ↑ https://forums.autosport.com/topic/208181-the-last-race-without-the-halo-and-i%E2%80%99m-feeling-sad-merged-with-poll/?hl=halo
  6. ↑ Kalinauckas, Alex. "Jackie Stewart: F1 halo critics are like 1960s safety backlash". Autosport.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  7. ↑ Benyon, Jack. "Makino believes halo saved his life in F2 crash". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  8. ↑ Richards, Giles. "Charles Leclerc pays tribute to halo after walking away from Belgian GP crash". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
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