Formula One cars are about to look different beginning in the 2017 season when the halo protective structure will be incorporated on all F1 cars as an increased safety measure meant to protect drivers from impact and flying objects. The increasing demand for protection on open-cockpit race cars has been getting louder and more urgent in the wake of high-profile tragedies of racers Jules Bianchi, Justin Wilson, and Dan Wheldon, all of whom lost their lives because of on-track accidents in recent years.
With these tragedies still looming over the motorsports world, Formula One has taken the steps to ensure that the kind of accidents that cost the life of Bianchi can be prevented with the introduction of a safety structure that would enhance the safety of the cars’ open cockpits. Red Bull had previously tested an aeroscreen with Mercedes doing the same with a similar halo structure design to the one that Formula One appears to plan on using next season. That design was tested by Ferrari and is comprised of a carbon fiber frame that can be installed over the cockpit of the F1 race cars when the drivers are ready to race and removed just as easily when they get out of the car.
The teams’ technical directors agreed to proceed with the halo structure during a meeting in Monaco over the weekend. That said, the design is still subject to modifications and more tests as the current season moves along, possibly to make it less intrusive for the drivers who are going to need some time to get acclimated to the safety device. Further testing for the halo device is scheduled to begin on June 24 before Formula One’s decision-makers make one last sign-off on July 6.
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