Technical Can we talk about the Halo?

F1's Halo Device?


  • Total voters
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Red Bull head protection concept/alternative

f1-giorgio-piola-technical-analysis-2016-red-bull-halo-concept.jpg
 
I've had a feeling for a while that the whole point of the Halo was to make people accept a less crap alternative. It's a technique that Bernie has used quite often whereby he proposes something completely off the wall with no intention of going through with it because his actual idea, the one he always wanted to put forward, then seems like a watered down compromise. I think the FIA may be using the same tactic here.
 
I quite like the Red Bull alternative...but I can't help feeling that the FIA is reluctant to adopt something offered up by that particular team, owing to their truculence over the rest of the sport at the moment and subsequent threats to quit.
 
I actually think the Red Bull alternative would offer better protection (may even have avoided the Massa incident). Though have doubts about the practicality in the wet, not sure it wouldn't make visibility even worse due to spray (though if you go with the McLaren tech that can clear a windscreen without wipers that could work well)...
 
Mmmm, an improvement but:
Can it be done without the heavy handed hoop?
Keeping it clear to see through over a whole stint?
Will it push the air intake up?
Evacuation / rescue when upside down?
What restrictions will be applied to integration with the rest of the car?
 
Just coming off the top of my head here but drivers are always complaining that their mirrors are useless. Could we combine the Red Bull concept with some sort of mirroring on the side of the protective shield to help them see more behind?
 
Must admit that looks better than the Ferrari Halo, but surely they could make the glass / polycarbonate screen strong enough without the need for struts?

Also clearing water off this, what about also water & oil mixed in, would it smear?

Also you sometimes see the leading edge of the side pods at the end of some races covered in a black coating (assuming dirt, oil, rubber, etc), how would that be dealt with on this screen?

Then there is the Aero aspects, don't get me started on that.....
 
Mmmm, an improvement but:
...Will it push the air intake up?

The air box shouldn't be affected, it's not really needed with the turbo cars, it was only kept for a similar look to the nonturbo cars and the teams like to use it for advertising space.
 
Next they will be putting windscreen wipers and washers on, to keep it clean. They might as well pop down to the garage and buy an off the shelf car, and be done with it.
 
Will Buxton authoritatively reported during FP2 that the Halo will be on the cars in 2017 and that Lewis will be using one. I sure hope he's wrong.

And that Artist's rendering of the Red Bull mini-windshield looks a lot better than the real thing.
 
I'd love to see footage of a test where the car is placed upside down in a gravel trap and a driver asked to get out of the car. This must have been considered when the Halo was conceived but I'm not convinced it's an easy thing to do.
 
That must be the biggest criticism about this so called "halo". Nobody has any clue how it will work in real life. There are any number of things that could still contact a drivers head as well.

There is no good reason to oppose safety measures based on aesthetics, but this "halo" is a half-measure of the highest order. Let me know when they figure out the "force-field"!
 
That must be the biggest criticism about this so called "halo". Nobody has any clue how it will work in real life. There are any number of things that could still contact a drivers head as well.

There is no good reason to oppose safety measures based on aesthetics, but this "halo" is a half-measure of the highest order. Let me know when they figure out the "force-field"!

Hopefully the people who'll push this & therefore test this won't be the same that came up with the new qualifying.
 
Very interesting comments from Button when asked in the post race interviews if he thought that Alonso would have had a hard time getting out with a Halo type device on. Button replied that he thought it was more likely a driver would need head protection than need to exit an over turned car in a hurry. He claimed with the way fuel cells are constructed a fuel leak would never happen and that a driver would be fine to wait for the car to be turned over so they could get out.

I find that view remarkable. Button may be right about the fuel cell (but to say never is like saying unsinkable) but what about the boilling hot radiator fluid, the hydraulic fluid, the oil, the energy recovery systems? Any number of things could go wrong and force a driver to get out in a hurry.
 
Surely there would be a quick release function though? They have seatbelts and the HANS device to negotiate already.

I think today shows how bloody amazing the cars already are by the way.
 
Oh yeah. The safety cell was outstanding today. As far as quick release goes I guess it would have one but if the car is upside down would there be enough room to push it up or get it out of the way?
 
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