The FIA ​​justifies its choice of Halo

This week, the FIA ​​decided to impose the Halo system on 2018 single-seaters, despite the criticism expressed since the first tests of this device, integrated to provide frontal protection to drivers.

The Federation wished to comment on this choice of the Halo, in particular by specifying its qualities in certain scenarios. “ In parallel with the static tests of the Halo device, other solutions were explored simultaneously, in particular the “Aeroscreen”, a windshield installed on uprights attached to each side of the cockpit.

The system was tested in trials at the 2016 Russian Grand Prix, but while it was successful in some areas, other tests raised concerns about the effectiveness of the device. On the other hand, tests of the Halo continued to prove effective.

Focusing on three important types of major hazards, car-to-car contact, car-to-environment contact and external objects, testing revealed that in the case of car-to-car incidents, the Halo was able to withstand fifteen times the static load of the mass of the car and significantly reduced the risk of injury.

In car-environment testing, it was established that the Halo was able to prevent helmet contact with a wall or barrier in many cases, using a selection of previous incidents as a reference. Finally, in the case of external objects, the Halo successfully diverted large objects away from the cockpit and also demonstrated an increased level of protection against small debris.

Additionally, feedback from extensive track testing revealed that visibility was significantly unchanged and there was no significant visual obstruction with the center pillar. Track testing has yet to reveal any issues with cockpit extraction and multiple trials have been conducted with the Halo in place, with a revised procedure formulated to ensure safe extraction. »

The favorite Shield… then abandoned

The governing bodies of the discipline had, however, postponed the introduction of a protection system, to offer more development time, but also to give a chance to the Shield, which seemed to receive the favors of the FIA.

« Following these track tests and the analysis of alternative systems, the Strategic Group and the Commission F1 decided in April of this year to prioritize the transparent shield system family (Shield).

After strategic testing, the Shield system was briefly tested at the 2017 British Grand Prix, with the Ferrari de Sebastian Vettel. Comments on this trial have brought up a number of limitations regarding such a system.

In light of this and aware of the tests carried out with the Halo system, and the need to incorporate regulations before the desired deadline of the start of the 2018 season, the Halo system represents the best solution to the problem of frontal cockpit protection . The final design of the Halo will be refined before its introduction in 2018 in a joint effort between the teams, drivers and the FIA. »