Will this be the end of Formula 1 as we know it? Probably not but still.

So… chances are if you follow anything in the motorsport world you would have heard about the new halo device. For those who have not heard of this device, a summary will be needed. The halo device was introduced by teams in 2016 when the FIA was looking for forward head protection on the cars. This instantly sparked debates and controversy. Testing was done with the device in 2016, however, drivers were not impressed with the device. The halo would essentially be a ring around the driver’s head, as the name explains, but the problem was visibility. The front reinforcement bar would come down right in front of the drivers face. As of now the FIA has decided to make these devices mandatory for the 2018 season.
No one is debating the safety it would provide the drivers in the event of LARGE debris coming at the head of the driver. Unfortunately, there are many issues with this device, the first being the argument that it will prevent debris from hitting the head. An example used by many would be when Felipe Massa had a loose spring from another car pierce his helmet causing a skull fracture in 2009. From a simple picture, it would be reasonable to say a spring would still hit the driver and could deflect downwards to where the driver has little to no protection. Racing suits are only designed for fire and heat protection, not high-speed projectiles. The second is visibility, if some countries don’t allow anything obstructing a drivers view on road cars, why would the FIA add something like this on the fastest cars on earth? Probably a question we will never get the answer to. The last and final reason is quite possibly the most important. Formula 1 is known as the most dangerous and fasted sport on earth, for good reason.
Many drivers have passed away while competing and that is something other drivers have accepted. Fear is something many people cannot confront. Formula 1 drivers are a different breed of humans, some would say not human at all. Every time they go out on track they are pushing a cars limit to the very maximum. A little under the limit they lose, a little over is a possible catastrophe. The halo device has taken some of this risk away, the risk that these drivers thrive on. Without it, racing can become dull and boring, and not just for the fans. The FIA has said that drivers have backed the decision to add the halo, yet no names have been released. Drivers understand that you can get hurt or killed in this sport, they have signed up for it. If they didn’t like it 100 more drivers would want a seat in the car. People have said that having the halo allows the drivers to push harder and take more risks. This is ludicrous, if any driver was not pushing his hardest at this very moment, he would not be in Formula 1.
However, there is a place for the halo device. That place is in lower level racing where driver skill is less refined and driver age is younger. Protecting drivers on the journey up to Formula 1 is extremely important. Lower series still have extremely safe cars but team budgets prevent them from using the best technology possible. Adding this device in Formula 1 fundamentally changes the sport and the direction it is headed. Change is necessary in everything but with a sport like this, sometimes traditional is better…for now

