Halo Device

The titanium shield that redefined driver safety.

via Wikipedia: Halo (safety device) · see source

The halo is a driver crash-protection system used in open-wheel racing series, which consists of a curved bar placed above the driver's head to protect it from injury. Since the 2018 season, the FIA has made the halo mandatory on every vehicle in Formula 1 as a safety measure. The halo is made of titanium and weighed around 7 kilograms (15 lb) in the version presented in 2016, then rose to 9 kilograms (20 lb) in 2017. In FIA series the halo system is not developed by the teams, but is manufactured by three approved external manufacturers chosen by the FIA and has the same specification for all vehicles.

Quick Facts

Introduced: 2018 Season
Material: Titanium
Status: Mandatory Safety Feature
Function: Head Protection
Regulator: FIA
Design shape: Curved Bar Structure

Lore & Background

The system aroused some criticism before it was involved in any incidents, including that of Niki Lauda, who claimed that the system distorted the "essence of racing cars". The system was also initially unpopular with fans, with some saying that it was visually unappealing, against the concept of open-cockpit racing, and obstructed the driver's vision. There were safety concerns from several teams, including Ferrari and Mercedes, some drivers stating the invention would make it "harder for the driver to get out of the car".

Though other former drivers, including Jackie Stewart, welcomed the system and compared it to the introduction of seat belts, which had been similarly criticized but became the norm in racing and regular vehicles. At the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, Romain Grosjean crashed into the barriers head-on. The halo deflected the upper section of the barrier, protecting Grosjean's head from the impact. Despite initial concern over drivers being unable to evacuate quickly due to the halo, Grosjean was able to climb out largely unassisted, despite the car catching fire upon impact.

Grosjean said, "I wasn't for the halo some years ago, but I think it's the greatest thing that we've brought to Formula 1, and without it I wouldn't be able to speak with you today." At the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collided. Verstappen's wheel landed on the halo protecting Hamilton's head, with Hamilton later saying it "saved my neck". At the 2022 British Grand Prix, Zhou Guanyu said the halo saved his life after his Alfa Romeo flipped, spun, and careered over the tyre barrier, because the vehicle's roll hoop collapsed as soon as it hit the tarmac.

Reader's Guide

The device consists of a bar that surrounds the driver's head and is connected by three points to the vehicle frame. In a simulation performed by the FIA, using data from 40 incidents, use of the system provided a 17% increase in the survival rate of the driver. A single halo can cost between €13,000 and €24,000. Both cars operated by a team must have a halo.

Did You Know?

Sebastian Vettel was the first and only driver to try the Shield alternative system in a Formula 1 car, during free practice for the 2017 British Grand Prix.
At the 1974 United States Grand Prix, driver Helmut Koinigg was decapitated in a similar pre-halo accident.