<FROM JAMES ALLEN>
Ferrari caught Formula 1’s attention when it tested a cockpit protection device at the second pre-season test in Barcelona last week.
The Scuderia fitted a temporary “Halo” attachment to the SF16-H driven first by Kimi Raikkonen and then by Sebastian Vettel for installation laps to test their visibility when running with the structure on the final two days of the session.
The Halo device is a concept that was developed by Mercedes in conjunction with the FIA to deflect flying debris, such as a loose wheel, away from a driver’s head.
It is hoped that a cockpit protection device would save lives in such incidents, and the death of Henry Surtees, the Formula 2 driver and son of F1 world champion John Surtees, in 2009 is often cited as an occasion where a structure would have saved his life.
Ferrari’s test provoked a significant debate about cockpit protection and its place in F1, so here JAonF1 takes an in-depth look at the Halo structure and the alternative ideas that the FIA recently tested by firing wheels at 225km/h towards each structure.
Halo
The Halo concept was developed by the Mercedes team and involves a sloped centre-line fin with a roll bar that sits above a drivers’ head.
The Halo structure in the test was made from steel but if it were implemented in F1 it is thought that the device would be made from lighter materials that would only add around 5kg in weight to the car.
It is understood that this concept is the FIA’s preferred structure and it performed “extremely well” according to a report in the governing body’s AUTO magazine, which covered the tests conducted by the Global Institute for Motor Sport Safety, the research partner of the FIA Institute.
Andy Mellor, the Global Institute’s lead researcher on the cockpit protection tests, told AUTO that the Halo device would protect a driver from all angles if a loose wheel was to strike a car.
He said: “It’s very impressive that although the structure is positioned close to the driver’s helmet to provide protection from all angles, it is still able to prevent the wheel from contacting the helmet. In the very short distance available, a huge amount of energy is absorbed and the wheel is successfully redirected.”
Additional Frontal Protection
The Additional Frontal Protection (AFP) structure would not go over a drivers’ head but would be placed towards the front of the car, close to where the nosecone attaches to the front of the chassis, to deflect objects moving into the path of a driver.
The AFP consists of three curved fins that fan out and appear as vertical pillars in the lower part of a driver’s vision.
Mellor explained that as well as having a lower visual impact than the Halo; the AFP could deflect a wheel away from a racer’s helmet even it struck towards the top of the structure.
He said: “With this approach we aim to achieve compatibility with the rim with a design that minimises the reaction loads on the chassis, has the potential to be extremely lightweight and has a low visual impact.
“It is designed to work most effectively if the wheel is impacting at a shallow angle but the tests show that even if the wheel impacts the car towards the top of the blades, it can still be deflected over the driver’s helmet.”
Centre Line Roll Hoop
The Centre Line Roll Hoop consists of three curved round-section bars that pass over a driver’s head from the existing roll hoop on the car itself to the front of the chassis near where the nose is attached.
The bars are designed to flex and deflect a wheel away from the driver – each bar generates a force of 20kN, which means the whole structure would produce 60kN if a wheel hit all three parts – and were made from 20mm diameter steel for the test.
Mellor explained that this solution covers off some extra impact positions to the Halo and would offer additional protection during accidents like the one that killed former F1 driver Justin Wilson in a IndyCar race last August.
He said: “The big difference here is that the structure extends over the driver’s helmet to cover off additional impact positions. This system would also provide protection during the type of fatal accident suffered by Justin Wilson in IndyCar last year.”
Although the Centre Line Roll Hoop structure performed as expected in the tests, and successfully deflected a wheel, the device has more of an impact on visibility and could hamper the extrication process to get a driver out safely in the event of a crash.
Canopies
A popular alternative to the structures tested by the Global Institute is a clear canopy system similar to those used on fighter jets.
Red Bull is reported to have presented its own canopy design to the FIA and team boss Christian Horner recently explained that he hoped it would be tested soon.
He said: “Red Bull is making another submission for a canopy that we believe will be a safer option. It’s more of a canopy than a halo, but it obviously needs to be tested and hopefully can be done very quickly.”
However, issues that surround the idea of canopy solution mean it is unlikely to be introduced to F1. These relate spectator safety regarding deflected debris, driver extrication and visibility.
Driver reaction
After seeing Ferrari’s version of Halo, which was not structurally part of the car but rather a device added onto the SF16-H, a number of F1 drivers voiced their opinions on the concept.
Lewis Hamilton initially refused to tell reporters he thought of the Halo, but later posted on his Instagram account that it was, “the worst looking mod in Formula 1 history.”
He continued: “I appreciate the quest for safety but this is formula 1, and the way it is now is perfectly fine.”
Force India’s Nico Hülkenberg was also not a fan of the Halo structure and explained that he felt that F1 is safe enough as it.
He said: “It sends the wrong message. F1 is very safe at the moment. It looks horrible, I don’t like it and it’s just one of these little personal things that I wouldn’t like to see it.”
But among the drivers who felt differently was Vettel, as the four-times world champion felt the potential safety benefits of the device outweighed any problems regarding the aesthetics of the design.
He said: “I agree it doesn’t look very nice. It’s not the picture you are used to seeing for F1.
“But if it helps increase the safety and helps save lives, there would be at least two drivers who would still be around – Henry Surtees and Justin Wilson – if we had this type of system. It can be ugly but nothing justifies not having these two guys around any more.”
While Fernando Alonso described the Halo design as “extreme” to look at, the McLaren driver explained that he wanted to see some form of cockpit protection introduced in F1 for next season.
He said: “It will be the future of F1, because we cannot afford any serious injury or fatal accident as we had in the last two years.
“I know the Halo is a little extreme in terms of aesthetics – maybe a canopy or other solution is found in the next couple of months – but hopefully next year we have one of these systems in all the cars.”
Surtees calls on Hamilton to consider Halo
John Surtees, who won the F1 world title in 1964 and remains the only man to have also won a top motorbike world championship, has called on Hamilton to change his feelings towards the Halo concept and consider his position as the reining world champion.
Speaking to the BBC, Surtees said: “I suffered the tragedy of losing Henry which certainly could’ve been prevented by a development like this.
“Lewis could perhaps think a little more about the Halo and think about the responsibility he does have as a world champion.
“Change comes about and sometimes changes are forced upon one. It may be that the governing body, just because of the momentum and the fact that they have gone this way, will have no option but to impose these regulations.
“[Vettel] hit the nail very clearly on the head with what he said. Henry was hit by a wheel that weighed 28kg so there would have been a chance there [if the Halo had been in place].”
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© Pirelli & C. S.p.A.The other major issue with this plan would be the increase in the cost of television broadcast rights. The rights to broadcast Formula One on television already costs an arm and a leg, but once you add GP2 to the mix, they will want a slice of the pie too. This means that the rights will have to become more expensive to adjust for that. This could also present an issue if the Formula One Management Group ever decided to buy out the GP2 rights, as FOM are ultra-restrictive on who uses their footage.