Safe and sound

The introduction of the Halo in 2018 was aesthetically, technically and philosophically controversial, yet it soon saved one Formula 1 driver from serious injury or possibly worse. But it’s only when you see the level of technology that goes into its manufacture that you realise why it’s so effective

- GEMMA HATTON

The controversies surrounding F1’s Halo have simmered down since the safety device protected Charles Leclerc when Fernando Alonso’s car was launched over the top of his cockpit at the 2018 Belgian GP, and it’s easy to see why.

‘When you watch the video frame by frame you can see the McLaren’s suspension was broken by the contact with the Halo, so with our data we have estimated it took a 56kN load, about half of what the test load is,’ said the FIA race director, the late Charlie Whiting, of the incident at the time. ‘It stood up really well and there was no distortion. Sauber took it off the car after the crash and thoroughly checked it but there were no cracks and no buckling.’

So the Halo proved itself early on, and it’s now time to unearth the technology behind this device; a piece of kit which can withstand 15 times the static load of a Formula 1 car and the hit of a 20kg wheel at 225km/h.

The FIA has been investigating additional frontal protection devices since 2011, ranging from a full canopy to having roll bar-like devices ahead of the car. From these early design iterations, three were pursued and developed to try and meet the initial design target of deflecting a wheel at 225km/h.

These were the Halo, the Shield, and the Aeroscreen. We are now all familiar with the three-pronged tubular titanium structure of the Halo; the shield is effectively a windscreen made from transparent polycarbonate, while the Aeroscreen hybrid consists of structural carbon and transparent polycarbonate.

The Halo effect