Formula One bosses have shelved plans to install the halo safety device on Formula One cars, reversing the introduction of the device for the 2017 season because it would be too late to introduce it in the designs for next year’s cars and it needed more time to be tested and developed. The Strategy Group, which is made up of bosses from the top six teams, plus FIA president Jean Todt and F1 honcho Bernie Ecclestone, made the 11th hour reversal after the device was believed to be fully ready to be introduced for next season.
Not surprisingly, the Strategy Group’s decision caused a lot of uproar in the paddocks, none louder than from the F1 drivers themselves. Four-time world champion and current Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel called the about-face “stupid” before adding that “95 percent” of the drivers voted for the device to be included for the 2017 season. McLaren driver Jenson Button echoed Vettel’s statement, saying that the device is a “great solution.”
But apparently, their bosses thought otherwise, including Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who called the device “an inelegant solution.” While not necessarily speaking for the rest of his colleagues, Horner added that he preferred to have more tests done on the device to determine if it really offers the best solution in protecting the drivers heads from flying debris in an event of the crash. Another year of testing development could provide the best possible solution, or at least that’s what the Strategy Group had in mind when it shot down the device’s implementation.
That said, the halo device could still be introduced next season if the FIA deems it necessary on the grounds of safety. Such a move would not need the approval of F1 teams or Ecclestone himself. But given that Todt, being the FIA president, was one of those who decided on delaying the introduction of the device, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to exercise this power to take action and introduce the device anyway.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
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