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 first tests of the halo 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, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula Regional, Formula E and also Formula 4 as a new safety measure. Some other open-wheel racing series also utilise the halo, such as IndyCar Series, Indy NXT, Super Formula, Super Formula Lights, Euroformula Open and Australian S5000. The IndyCar halo is used as a structural frame for the aeroscreen.
Construction
The system consists of a bar that surrounds the driver's head and is connected by three points to the vehicle frame. The halo is made of titanium and weighed around in the version presented in 2016, then rose to in 2017.
The system is not developed by the teams, but is manufactured by three approved external manufacturers chosen by the FIA and has the same specification 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% theoretical increase in the survival rate of the driver.
History and development
During development, the FIA examined three fundamental scenarios—collision between two vehicles, contact between a vehicle and the surrounding environment (such as barriers) and collisions with vehicles and debris. Tests have shown that the halo system can significantly reduce the risk of injury to the driver. In many cases the system was able to prevent the helmet from coming into contact with a barrier when checked against a series of accidents that had occurred in the past. During the study of the last case it was found that the halo was able to deflect large objects and provide greater protection against smaller debris.
In August 2017 the Dallara F2 2018, a new Formula 2 car, was presented and was the first to install the halo system. The SRT05e Formula E car presented in January 2018 had a halo. In November 2018, the 2019 FIA Formula 3 car, which was unveiled in Abu Dhabi, installed the halo too. Beginning in 2021, the Indy Lights' IL-15 began using the halo.
Alternative systems
As an alternative to the halo system, Red Bull Advanced Technologies developed the transparent "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 transparent polyvinyl chloride screen. In 2019 the aeroscreen was adapted to use the halo as a structural frame for use in IndyCar.
Sebastian Vettel was the first and only driver to try Shield in a Formula 1 car. 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 distorted and blurred vision that prevented him from driving. Its introduction was subsequently excluded, as there was no guarantee that the issues with Shield could be solved in time for the 2018 season.
Initial reception
The system aroused some criticism before it was involved in any incidents, including that of Niki Lauda, who claimed that the system distorted the "essence of racing cars". The system was also initially unpopular with fans, with some saying that it was visually unappealing, against the concept of open-cockpit racing, and obstructed the driver's vision. Other former drivers, including Jackie Stewart, welcomed the system and compared it to the introduction of seat belts, which had been similarly criticised, but then became the norm also on road cars. Max Verstappen made a scathing assessment of the halo in 2018, saying that it "abused the DNA" of F1, which was "less dangerous than riding a bicycle in a city."
Incidents
Despite initial criticism, the halo was praised by the community following an incident where the halo was struck by another car—one in the Formula 2 race at Spain, where Tadasuke Makino's halo was landed on by fellow Japanese driver Nirei Fukuzumi's car, and one in the Belgian Grand Prix, where Charles Leclerc's halo was struck by Fernando Alonso's airborne McLaren, with both of their haloes showing visible damage from the impact. Both Makino and Leclerc credited the halo for possibly saving their lives, and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who had criticised the halo earlier in the season, said that saving Leclerc from injury made the halo "worth it" despite its "terrible aesthetics".