'Halo' Proves Worth in Opening Lap Crash at Spa

[Terry Rock]

I cannot believe some of the comments I'm reading.
It is actually quite disappointing given the responses of more than just a few here.
Watching races only to see crashes on track is not something any good, normal human-being should be admitting to.
Sure!...Jules Bianchi likely would not have been saved by the Halo...but Justin Wilson and young Henry Surtees probably would have, had we had it.
It is absolutely "insane" to come out against potentially saving a driver's life, simply because you don't like the look of a Halo...then 'spin' it as they're paid big money to take risks.
As a continuous fan of this sport since 1971, I want to see good racing on track.
I also want to see technology advances used on cars to allow each and every one of them to drive away unaided after a race on Sunday afternoon to go back home to their families.
That's what any good spectator of the sport of Formula 1 should want.

 

[Pedro17]

More fake news -- just like when you slandered Michael Andretti by putting words in his mouth.

How about you do a real report about something that actually happened. Robert Wickens might be paralyzed for life, yet you've done no article on that.

 

[Diogo Goetz Brand]

Well, I think there is too much safety in today's racing. I don't want to see death obviously but I want crashes and smashes and to be entertained. Racing is great but I want the whole package and drivers know the risks and are rewarded handsomely. If you go fast, there are risks. Tell me when you see a crash like today, you get excited? I do!

Being excited with crashes is ok. Being excited for injuries is probably a sign of mental illness. The halo doesn't prevent crashes, it helps prevent injuries.

 

[Stephen O'Sullivan]

I'm all for better safety in motorsport. My objection to the halo is that it doesn't go far enough. If drivers are forced to race with a vision-restricting bar directly in front of them, the cars might as well be fitted with an enclosed cockpit that gives the drivers even more protection.

 

[simon2002]

coulda woulda shoulda, the guy walked out of a possibly life-threatening situation with not a scratch on him, what's the complaint exactly? and saying, crashes are what excites one about racing, well - sorry - i personally find a good overtake like the one bottas pulled of today (eau rouge! outside!?) a hundred times more exciting than a crash.

THAT´S RADILLION ACTUALLY

 

[JamesYurs]

meh, probably woulda been fine without it but I dont watch F1 so I have no horse in this race.

 

[el_mattpro]

I really don't understand why some people here say to other "Do you really want risky entertainment.?..etc" when they said "I don't like the halo" or things like that... so... if a car without Halo, a F1 car, is the same to be entertainment with risky motorsport because that's what people are saying (example) "You like risk because you don't want or like halo" then every single F1 fan loves risky fights on motorsport because Halo start 63 years later of the Category.

Car With Halo = Drivers risk their life racing
Car with Halo (Look) = Pretty bad
Car with Halo Safety = ...maybe this one count as one, so "a little bit more safe"
Car without Halo = Drivers risk their life racing
car without Halo (look) = Beautiful
Car without Halo Safety = 62 years of F1 improving safety and all the races you watched until 2018

and guys, if you don't like risk don't watch F1, even if they made the SAFEST CAR EVER MADE to be safe at 600km/h, they'll make a car that go up to 650km/h and a single crash to a wall from 500+ to 0km/h will kill you instantly because you can't modify the human body and his reactions to G force.

By the way, making the car extremely safe we know that will make more contact on races, more than what we're looking at right now. 17-20 years old driver with adrenaline to win a GP or even a World Title in a car that, if he crash he'll die, we know the answer, they'll try to avoid hit cars between drivers, exactly what happens years and years back. With an extremely safe car this'll go to the oposite side, why when you join an online race on a simulator there are 80 crashes per lap? exactly, you can't get killed, it's free. (don't took it literally guys)

 

[Durge Driven]

I don't like people, that just hit the disagree-rating, but not posting here WHY they disagree.

Yes, i know..... my post will recieve mass disagree-ratings. Trolls all over the place......

Don't let something so trivial and meaningless as that bother you mate, .....I get them every day lol

 

[Durge Driven]

hahaha

see

 

[paracletus]

Some of the F1 drivers who were very opposed to the halo have changed their minds about it.
If they don't care about it, neither will I.
Furthermore, I would bet £1 that Leclerc will be glad these cars are fitted with halos.

Judging by the damage, it did take a considerable hit from something - even looks slightly fractured (it will have been designed to deform/deflect by a certain amount on impact to reduce the equivalent static force, compared to an extremely rigid body that probably wouldn't do such a good job of protecting the drivers).

 

[bertiesparty]

Anyone who hates on the halo is a wannabe luddite who cares less about the lives of the drivers than the aesthetic appearance of the car.

Sorry. It's just true.

Is the halo a perfect solution? No, not at all. Honestly, short of making all the cars RC cars, the optimal solution would be a full closed cockpit, LMP1 style.

But if you can look at this incident and think anything other than "this proves the worth of the halo, regardless of what the outcome might've been without it", then I have no time for anything else you have to say.

 

[larre90]

I looked it up a few times...
It wasn't a direct hit on top of the Halo, it seems more like the car of Alonso slided a little bit over it, regarding the angle and speed while touching the Halo, Alonsos airbourne Mclaren was clearly faster then Leclerc.
But the Halo looks seriously damaged, for such a minor hit, imo.

Giving this, would the Halo have saved Leclercs life, when it gets a FULL hit by another car, when the McLaren would have been tangled up by the Halo? I'm not so sure about that...

Though, I don't want to see that comming.

 

[Glaurung]

The Halo is a small device that reduces high risk of driver life.
It doesn't affect the performances of these cars, that are just insanely fast.
On Q2 they have beaten with margin the record of the 919 Evo, a car built without conforming to regulations.

 

[gamer19]

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

Wow, you're such a brave and fearless driver.
Say... do you own a playstation or a X-Box ?

Well, I think there is too much safety in today's racing. I don't want to see death obviously but I want crashes and smashes and to be entertained. Racing is great but I want the whole package and drivers know the risks and are rewarded handsomely. If you go fast, there are risks. Tell me when you see a crash like today, you get excited? I do!

Omg, 43 (and counting) little "disagreements" - I had some memorable moments like this but mate... this must be a new world record !!! Congratulations. Respect.
Wanna hear about my new little formula ?
When a number of disagrees overtake a number of your years of life... then you know something's wrong. It's not like a rule, but it just may be.

 

[Richard Dastardly]

Giving this, would the Halo have saved Leclercs life, when it gets a FULL hit by another car, when the McLaren would have been tangled up by the Halo? I'm not so sure about that...

It wouldn't have hit him, geometry would say so. If the car dropped straight down on him and put a tyre in the cockpit then he might have got hit, but I think the only way that would happen would be if a car rolled over onto him in the air & landed tyre first - and in that case the halo might not even have touched the incoming tyre because there's no directly top-down protection. To spear someone with the nose of the car the incoming car would have to be flying above the sidepods and facing somewhat towards the driver in the first place, and that seems rather unlikely.

I'm actually a bit dubious about the shape of the thing because it seems just the right angle to funnel something down onto the helmet if it lands on top - why does it not start somewhere up the rollbar as if it was the top to a wrap-round screen?

Regardless of anything else, if it stops what it's meant to stop then it's a good thing.

 

[Andy_J]

Don't let something so trivial and meaningless as that bother you mate, .....I get them every day lol

Don't fret about it. Little red thing that shouldn't really bother you. I remember you slating this website from nogrip, funny how you are here now, so loud.

 

[Durge Driven]

Are aesthetics and engine sound more important then F1 being a 2 car race

One thing I don't like how Spa becomes a super speedway

All the high speed turns should need to be managed even Eau Rouge so you would actually see drivers ability, not taken flat out

 

[Will Mazeo]

if Spa was a superspeedway they'd actually be able to pass each other lol

 

[Durge Driven]

Don't fret about it. Little red thing that shouldn't really bother you. I remember you slating this website from nogrip, funny how you are here now, so loud.

What you on about that is exactly what I am telling the guy, don't worry be happy

Stop bringing up what happens at other places, one of first rules of sites and anywhere in life
Don't be a tittle tat ...nah nah

All I ever said about RD and other sites the hard time they gave rFactor2 was unwarranted
That was my honest humble opinion ?

 

[Warlord_Gonagy]

Paul, I do believe you've created a monster.....

The halo DID NOT save Leclerc's life. It probably didn't even save his hands. And even if it did, it still wouldn't change my opinion.

The reality is this only reinforces what the FIA has been trying to shove down everyone's throats just because they'd rather piss off all of their fans than collaborate with "those redneck 'Murican's".

Every time something even remotely touches the halo, the FIA just goes "HA! Toldja so!" and ignores the fact that, if we have another situation like Massa, or Senna, the halo would not save them. The aeroscreen would. If we start to accept this monstrosity of a hackjob, then they'll just forget about designing anything else that may be decent and just leave it as it is. And then someday, we're going to have a crash were one of these little tiny wing elements goes flying off and spears someone in the head. The helmet won't save them; it didn't save Senna, it barely saved Massa, and it didn't save Justin Wilson.

I don't care how the halo looks. It could look like a beat-up old pickup truck, and I wouldn't care, if it was actually a decent solution to the problem. But it isn't. And so, I will not accept it, now or ever. Because if the FIA REALLY cared about driver safety, they'd ignore whatever perceived rivalry they have with IndyCar and collaborate to come up with an actually effective solution.