The invention of the Halo has proved time and time again it is the guardian angel of motorsport.
The British Grand Prix is no stranger to its trials and tribulations but this lap one tussle was much more than that.
At nearly 200mph Zhou Guanyu’s Alpha Romeo flipped several times from the first corner just off the starting grid and managed to flip over the tire wall towards spectators at Abby.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});He Says he is the latest driver to be saved by the Halo.
What is a Halo?
The Halo is a newly invented safety device which sits above the driver’s head.
A wishbone-like shape, the Halo is made of titanium and wraps around the driver’s cockpit, it is designed to sustain the weight of a double-decker bus which is approximately 12 tonnes.
The Build-up to it’s introduction
The Halo device was first trialled in 2016 before swiftly becoming mandatory in 2018 after all correct tests were carried out to ensure its capabilities. It is designed to protect the driver’s heads from any flying debris or cases of rolling, to the extent of this weekend’s accident at Silverstone. After years of intense research, the Halo was the only device found to be capable of deflecting a wheel at 150mph.
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The Halo and further safety precautions were a direct result of Jules Bianchi’s devastating death at the age of just 25. The driver bound for the Scuderia tragically was involved in an accident in 2015. Bianchi’s passing was the first fatality from injuries sustained in a race since the death of three-time world champion Ayrton Senna.
Prior to the Halo’s invention and use the FIA tested other options, one being a screen much like the IndyCar solution, however upon trialling it many drivers were complaining of feeling ill and their vision being distorted.
Bianchi’s tragic passing had a direct impact on the invention of the Halo, since then it has saved countless drivers.
Initial Disagreement
While the Halo has proved on more than one occasion since its mandatory use in the sport, it has not always been a driver favourite.
In 2016, Seven-Time world champion Lewis Hamilton called it “the worst looking modification in the history of the sport”. However, this was prior to the Halo saving Lewis’ life back in the Italian Grand Prix in 2021.
Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff stated in 2018 “he would take a chainsaw to the halo if he could”. However, since its debut in the sport, it has proven countless times it is extremely beneficial to all those it protects.
Life-Saving Technology
Not only did the Halo prove its life-saving abilities this past weekend at the British Grand Prix but during the 2021 season in Monza at the Italian Grand Prix current reigning world champion Max Verstappen and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton collided which famously ended with the Red Bull on top of the Mercedes. Without the Halo being present Lewis would undoubtedly not be here today.
Another instance the Halo was quite literally a driver’s saving grace during an incident was Roman Grosjean’s fiery crash in Bahrain during the 2020 season. The Swiss-born French driver crashed approximately 180meters after the apex at turn three. The Haas driver was able to escape through the blazing inferno with significant but not life-threatening injuries. The car was effectively logged between the barrier and split in two. Grosjean was able to pull himself out of the flames and wreck and ultimately survived the collision because of the Halo.
More recently, again at this weekend’s Silverstone race, there was a collision between Vale and Club corner involving Formula 2 drivers Roy Nissany and Dennis Hauger. Nissany was found to be solely to blame for the incident which saw Nissany forcing Hauger off track, the car out of control and over the sausage kerb at the apex at Vale, which launched his car on top of Nissany’s.
Hauger’s car struck Nissany’s around the cockpit area, the Halo taking the full brunt of the impact which resulted in both cars being lifted into the air and landing in the gravel. Both drivers were able to get out of their cars unaided but clearly shaken up by the incident.
What are your thoughts on the life-saving Halo?
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