History says that tragedies have been the great catalysts for the search for safety in Formula 1. It was the death of Ayrton Senna in Imola 1994, as well as that of Jules Bianchi 20 years later in Japan 2014. In both cases the FIA reacted strongly to use technological innovation for the benefit of drivers and their protection. And thanks to this, the halo was born, a mechanism perfected after thousands of hours of research and testing that consists of installing a fork-shaped bar on the pilot with the aim of protecting his head. Since 2018 it is mandatory in all categories governed by the FIA.
The acceptance of this new security system was not immediate. The main criticisms came both for the aesthetics and for the high weight of the piece, which slowed down the single-seaters. Four years later, the halo is not only accepted by the Formula 1 community, but has also proved essential, as was made clear this past weekend with the accidents suffered by the Chinese Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) in F1 and the Israeli Roy Nissany (Williams) in F2 at Silverstone Circuit.
The accident of the Chinese was chilling, but it is a great example of the formidable function of this piece of engineering. In the midst of the tension of the start, George Rusell's Mercedes hit Zhou's Alfa Romeo, which, like a catapult, turned on its axis and immediately turned upside down after failing the anti-roll system. It began to slide there, with the pilot's head a few centimeters from the ground, towards the outside of the runway in a few seconds that seemed like hours. The car also went through the gravel, hit the tire fence, which also jumped, and ended up crashing into the metal fence that protects the fans. In tenths of a second the car was reduced to masses of iron.
Seeing what had happened and perhaps with a certain feeling of guilt, Rusell approached Zhou to inquire about his condition. It would take ten minutes for the medical services to get the pilot out, who was miraculously conscious and out of danger. He was transferred to the medical center and is already recovering from the scare without further setbacks. "I'm fine. The halo saved me today ”, he published just an hour after the massive accident on his social networks.
In the case of Nissany, the tragedy would also have been assured had it not been for this element. After a dispute over position with Dennis Hauger (Red Bull), the latter's car went into the grass but the two cars met at the end of the corner. The Red Bull jumped just before re-entering the track because of the curb and hit the top of the Williams with enormous violence, knocking it off the track. Nissany was able to leave the car by his own feet, a miracle.
Made of titanium and weighing 10 kilos, which has given engineers many headaches to maximize aerodynamics, it can support weights of up to 12 tons. Its design was the responsibility of Mercerdes and it won the shortlist for choosing the ideal element for the aeroscreen, designed by Red Bull Technologies and consisting of a windshield with aerospace technology. For many specialists, it improves the halo in some aspects, but it is more invasive for the pilot. Right now it's the one used in IndyCar.
Specifically, the FIA's decision to implement this system was motivated by the fatal accident of Jules Bianchi. The pilot lost control of his car due to the rain and ended up colliding at high speed with a crane that was removing Adrián Sutil's car. Nine months later and at the age of only 25, he died in a Nice hospital. Bianchi's was the first death in Formula 1 in 20 years. The previous one had been Ayrton Senna's in 1994. After Imola, the FIA set up a group of experts to systematically and scientifically analyze how to make F1 safer. That was the beginning of the innovation in search of greater security, which still continues today.
