FIA race director Charlie Whiting has confirmed that it looks highly likely that the controversial Halo device will be a feature of F1 cars from next season. At the same time, he admitted that an alternative proposal from Red Bull is unlikely to be ready in time.

"I think it's going pretty well," he told reporters. "It's been tested quite extensively now, and I think it will offer very good protection for a flying wheel, for example, that's the main way it's been tested so far.

"We do need to do a thorough risk assessment on it," he admitted. "We need to look at a number of other related things like extrication. We've got to talk to the medical crews about it. But I think it's going quite well."

In recent years a number of drivers have suffered head injuries, and F1 looks likely to lead the way in attempting to prevent such incidents in future.

A mock-up was tried by Ferrari during pre-season tests, mainly to check out driver visibility but also to garner a reaction from fans and drivers. The reaction was mixed, whilst many are in favour, others, including Lewis Hamilton, are not.

"We've got a separate working group just to deal with that, it's headed up by Mercedes and Ferrari, they're doing a really good job on that.

Referring to Red Bull's version, which is understood to be more of a canopy, he said: The Red Bull idea is an alternative to that. It's considerably further behind in development, it's never been tested, but it could offer additional protection. But I've got my doubts that it could actually be implemented for 2017, whereas I think the Halo could.

"I don't think we would delay if another one was emerging," he insisted. "I think we are on a course for the Halo, because that has been tested thoroughly, and we feel it offers the best all-round protection.

"We do have a thorough risk assessment to do on a number of different accident scenarios," he admitted, "we obviously want to make sure that we don't make things worse in certain circumstances, so that has to be done. But I don't think we would delay it because we felt there was another one coming.

"One team did put a Halo on their car, and did get the driver to see how quickly they could get out, and it looked perfectly simple, and arguably easier, because the driver can get hold of this thing and lift himself out much easier," he said, referring to Ferrari's mock-up in Barcelona. "It looked very simple, I must say."

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