12/02/2018
NEWS STORY
Even though many F1 fans are not satisfied with the decision, the 'Halo' will be employed on all cars during the 2018 Formula One Season, beginning with pre-season testing in Barcelona from February 26. The testing period should inform us about how teams plan on changing their cars to comply with this enhanced safety requirement for future races.
Since the inherent risk involved in the sport attracts gamblers from across the world to bet on the sport, this change is likely to have an impact on how punters bet on F1 in the future, but with several online betting rewards their numbers won't go down anytime soon. Below, we've compiled the key facts which you need to know about one of the biggest changes in the Formula 1 world.
What is it?
Essentially the Halo comprises of a titanium structure that sits atop the car to protect the driver's head from debris that might be launched towards him from the track or during collisions. The structure is supported by a single shaft in front of the driver, while the surrounding sides are mounted on the car's cockpit. The change begs us to question whether such a mechanism could have saved Ayrton Senna in his 1994 crash, when he was struck by a flying piece of his car's suspension on a collision with the side wall.
Is it strong?
New crash tests have been devised to ensure that the Halo is able to withstand all types of collisions on the race track. The biggest load applied to the Halo is from the top, and is equivalent to over 116 kiloNewtons of force. The peak load on the Halo has to be held by it for 5 seconds without any structural failures. In additional, the Halo has been designed to withstand forces of 83 kN from the front, and a load of 93kN from the sides. Accordingly it has been designed to withstand all types of forces that might affect the car.
Will cars get a performance advantage from the Halo?
Installing the Halo into F1 cars is more about minimizing the loss of performance rather than gaining a performance edge from it. However, so far teams have not reported any of aerodynamic problems arising from the Halo's use apart from a few issues of redirecting airflow for cooling the car's engine. Teams are, however, facing troubles when it comes to minimizing the car's weight since the Halo adds an additional 10-14 kg to the car's weight.
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Is the Halo going to stick around?
While it seems unlikely that the FIA will go back on its move to have enhanced protection cockpit protection for cars, it's design may undergo a change depending on how well the Halo fares in upcoming seasons. Prior to the Halo, the FIA had also experimented with a curved windshield known as the 'Shield', however it failed to perform satisfactorily during test runs.
The Halo is here for the time being; however the FIA is likely to remain open to evolving its design to cater to the sport's requirements.