'Halo' Proves Worth in Opening Lap Crash at Spa

[paracletus]

The drivers are contractually obliged to say nice things about the Halo, regardless of whether or not they actually like it

^That's just opinions again, unless there are some documents/contracts to verify that statement.
Some drivers have already condemned the halo, particularly during its inception .

 

[Ari Antero]

Halo would have saved no death in F1 last + 20 years and it didn't save Charles’s head, there is too much safety in today's F1.

 

[mooneyman]

This is in response to Eckhart von Glan (I could not seem to quote his reply!! Sorry)
I could be mistaken but from what I know one of the front wheels flew up on impact and hit Senna on the head,a part of the suspension attached to the wheel pierced his visor/helmet ( speculation has it that the steering column was modified on Sennas suggestion ,and a bad joint could have broken and caused the actual crash!).
I still wonder if the HALO device could have blocked the flying wheel somehow?
PS: I understand the current HALO device uses modern materials and tech, but as some people are saying it would have been NO use in this accident,this is just a "what if" if was fitted at the time!

 

[jimortality]

Halo would have saved no death in F1 last + 20 years and it didn't save Charles’s head, there is too much safety in today's F1.

Now expect 75 disagrees lol

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

thx moneyman, seems i only remembered part of the story, good to find someone who knows what's what.
from what you say, anything blocking access to the helmet/head would have come in handy, wouldn't it?

 

[Kevin Bradley]

So here it is for me. I've thought long and hard about this post ..... I am massively conflicted about this as I'll explain below.

I was a huge hater of the halo when it was the chosen option. I couldn't stand the design - in fact I found it laughably bad to look at. I prescribed to the school of thought that it went against the DNA of the sport. I thought it was a knee jerk reaction to a terrible tragedy.

Then yesterday happened.

Now I don't know if the halo has saved leClerc or not. I'm sorry but I just can't conclusively tell from all the angles, all the stills , all the slightly grainy, zoomed in video footage. Might Alonso's car have hit his head? Maybe.

And there's my internal dilemma right there.

Let's say for arguments sake the chances of a head collision without the halo were approximately 50 percent, or even 20 percent. 20 percent is still one in five. That's one in five that a driver could have been killed without the halo installed on the car. The thought of that has made me reflect.

I still think the halo is extremely ugly and I won't be persuaded otherwise. Yesterday, however, it showed its value. F1 MUST have the halo on the cars, at least until such a time that something aesthetically better but just as safe can replace it.

And on a final point, sometimes in life it's ok to admit that maybe you got it wrong before.

 

[gamer19]

Some of the guys here... you talk about this incident like it's won't repeat itself - ever.
Get a grip, this is just the first case.
Does it really matter would Alonso's car decapitate him or will it be just you know... regular kill ? Just imagine you or some of your loved at that place... aesthetic (we all know it won't get any beauty reward) becomes quite less important now ?

 

[Haiden773]

The halo is more a cocern to me... I'm afraid it will end up helping a decent sized piece of car to get stuck in the cockpit and hurt the driver more
Indycar windscreen is the way to go. FIA should work with them to get that thing working asap

It's not a magnet. At the speeds they're going, anything that goes through is a torpedo. Debris getting stuck in the opening isn't really a concern, because if it reached the driver, he probably dead, and if it didn't reach the driver, then it getting caught in the halo was a good thing. And anything small enough to go through the halo, was going to hit the driver anyway. But the halo isn't attracting debris, so how can it make it worse?

 

[Haiden773]

The halo got hit by debris (whatever), doesn't mean the helmet or head of Charles would have been hit.

Man... that's just being stubborn. Regardless of whether that particular piece of debris would have hit the driver or not, the accident/damage shows that if the halo is helpful. Unless you're trying to say that a similar airborne accident in the future where the car does fall into the cockpit isn't possible. And that would just be a silly thing to say, given that this wasn't the first time it's happened.

 

[randMracer]

Not sure why there's so many posts about this and so many disagreements. When Leclerc said, “I have never been a fan of the halo but I have to say that I was very happy to have it over my head today.” That's it, end of discussion. When the driver said he was happy, what else needs to be said?

Sorry fellow sim racers, but all that time spent super analyzing footage and debating about it, is a waste of time.That ship has already sailed.

 

[sniper420]

All you need to know now in this onboard. End of.

https://twitter.com/F1/status/1034015162640945158

 

[el_mattpro]

Definitive solution for the thread

 

[Wedge]

Well, I think there is too much safety in today's racing.

What a bunch of BS you just said. Look what happened to Billy Monger last year and think again.
There's never too much safety in racing and absolutely nothing, NOTHING is above the well being of the drivers, even less your enjoyment/excitement. Couldn't care less. Crashes are f*ing scary and you only say that because you're not the one inside that cockpit. Every time there's a crash, the first thing that comes to mind is the state of the driver. No one want's to see their favorite driver being moved from the car to an ambulance and helo to the nearest hospital.

 

[RasmusP]

What a bunch of BS you just said. Look what happened to Billy Monger last year and think again.
There's never too much safety in racing and absolutely nothing, NOTHING is above the well being of the drivers, even less your enjoyment/excitement. Couldn't care less. Crashes are f*ing scary and you only say that because you're not the one inside that cockpit. Every time there's a crash, the first thing that comes to mind is the state of the driver. No one want's to see their favorite driver being moved from the car to an ambulance and helo to the nearest hospital.

Agreed!
As if ANY driver would be ever like "yeah I'm not getting any adrenaline from hitting the barrier at 300 kp/h. I know I don't get seriously injured so who cares about not being in control and seeing the edge of the track coming closer than I'd ever wish it for and the 10+ G's hitting me on impact no matter the barrier's material. Ez pz lemon squeezy lol"

 

[cofasix]

Current gen F1 cars were already so ugly that adding halo didn't change or affect anything aesthetically. It was like adding one more lump to the vesicular sea slug. (Who cares?) If that thing does anything good, I have no reason to hate it.

In fact, I'm pro-halo from now on.

 

[Durge Driven]

Show me a post Belgium quote from a driver still wants no halo

If there is any the FiA should demand physiological evaluations and drug testing

One thing though I wonder in these million ? tests they did how many were directed at the sides and did the frontal impacts exhibit the same sort of cracks

 

[Isaac Chavira]

I'm sorry but this race should have be restarted and the teams affected allowed to replace the car or broken parts. It was horrible to watch. Yeah we all bitch about the Halo but had it not been there, Leclerc would be dead right now.

 

[Durge Driven]

Make F1 more exicting batman canopy complete with explosive bolts

I'm sorry but this race should have be restarted and the teams affected allowed to replace the car or broken parts. It was horrible to watch. Yeah we all bitch about the Halo but had it not been there, Leclerc would be dead right now.

Yes F1 should be cheap enough all teams can run spare cars
F2-F3 is more exicting Spa and an entire car costs less then a F1 front wing lol

Be cool if all non-factory got absorbed by factory
Then you would have only say 6 best cars but with 4 car teams
so closer grid and better driver battles within teams

 

[Amanda]

Well, I think there is too much safety in today's racing.

Because it's about racing, not about you being entertained by crashes. You're watching the wrong sport.

I don't want to see death obviously but I want crashes and smashes and to be entertained.

Your post kinda contradicts itself. "There's too much safety" (talking about the halo too, and you know it), "obviously I don't want to see death, but....". Either you don't want to see death (meaning MORE safety), or you're extremely excited by crashes and want the drivers to "take the risk" (of dying, obviously).

Again, you're watching the wrong sport. Nobody should risk dying for my entertaining. That's not only extremely egoistic, it's right down schadenfreude.

 

[BP]

MY SIMPLE TEST:

Section A:
Replace "Charles Leclerc" with any of the following:

• My Wife, Husband, Girlfriend or Boyfriend
• My Parent(s) or Granparent(s)
• My Sibling, Cousin or Friend
• My Favourite Teacher or "Role Model"

Section B:
Replace "The HALO" with any of the following:

• Seatbelts
• ABS
• Airbags
• Lane departure warning systems
• Electronic Stability Control
• Crumple Zones

Section C:
Replace "Senna", "Bianchi" or "A racer who died or was severely injured" with any of the following:

• My worst enemy
• Some random person

Now say the following with conviction:

"I think that (Answer B) is a waste of time and should be banned forever.

"(Answer A) was in an accident recently, and it appears that (Answer B) did nothing in that situation to save (Answer A). Thankfully, (Answer A) is okay and, for some reason, (Answer A) said they are glad they had (Answer B) in their car that day. However, I think that because (Answer B) is ugly, it was in my opinion hastily implemented and, most importantly, it couldn't save the life of (Answer C) when (Answer C) was involved in a fatal accident, it should be removed until a Star-Trek Level 10 Force Field that can block everything AND be invisible is invented and implemented.

"(Answer A) means SO MUCH to me, that I'm willing to risk his/her life for the time being and wait until that Utopian device is created...which isn't a risk really, because (Answer B) sucks at protecting people from ANYTHING!!!"



If you can say the above statement and truly believe it in your heart of hearts, then CONGRATULATIONS! You my friend are either a heartless moron, a deeply troubled individual or both!