Major F1 Crashes That Prove How Vital the Halo System is
Here are some of the biggest F1 crashes that prove how vital the Halo System is in protecting drivers from serious injury and saving lives.
The Halo System is an important safety feature introduced in Formula 1 racing cars in 2018 to improve driver safety. Since then, it has prevented countless serious injuries and, on several occasions, even saved lives.
On this page, we will reveal some of the most significant F1 crashes that have occurred since this new safety measure was introduced, proving how vital this driver cockpit feature is.
What is the Halo System in F1?
The Halo System is essentially a Grade-5 titanium shield installed in the cockpit of all Formula 1 racing cars to protect drivers from serious injury or death due to a crash.
The three-pronged, tubular-shaped structure typically weighs anywhere from 7 to 9 kg and is designed to absorb and deflect impact in certain situations. The bracket can be likened to the rollbar-like structures in other vehicles used for racing/sporting events.
Grade-5 titanium (6AL4V) is used in the aerospace industry. It’s well-known for its incredible strength and durability, low density, and rigid properties, which make it an ideal line of defence to protect drivers when accidents occur.
Although the new safety feature was initially met with criticism, mainly for its unattractive appearance, everyone involved in F1 is now used to the Halo System being part of the car and understands its importance.
Others have said that it would reduce visibility, which to an extent did happen, but drivers quickly got used to it. Others said that it would affect the aerodynamics of the car, mainly because of the extra weight, but this never became an issue.
The F1 system can deflect heavy objects at speeds of around 139 mph (225 kph) and support the weight of two fully grown African elephants, or around 12,000 kg.
It has two rear mounts, and the ‘V transition’ is the front section located in the centre of two tube sections that have been welded together.
F1 teams do not make Halo Systems. Instead, one of three third-party manufacturers that have been approved by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) make them. They can only be installed if the Halo System meets precise requirements.
Apart from saving lives, one of the other advantages was the additional sponsorship space on the Halo System.
iGaming operators, for example, offering F1 prop bets with competitive odds, as well as sports brands and any other companies that use F1 racing cars to promote their brands, could now capitalise on this tiny space around the Halo System.
The Halo System is also used in most other single-seater motorsport categories, not just F1. For example, it’s also an integral part of vehicles in Super Formula, Euroformula Open, F2, F3, and Formula E.
In which major F1 crashes have the Halo System been most effective?
The Halo System has more than proven its worth over the past few F1 seasons, saving numerous lives and preventing many serious injuries, where drivers have walked away totally unscathed or with minor injuries.
Without the Halo System, these drivers could have ended up with life-changing injuries, or worse, they could have died.
According to studies, out of the 21 cases studies, the Halo System has reduced the severity of injuries drivers could have potentially received in around 19 of those cases.
The major accidents where the Halo System has prevented serious injury or death were during the following events:
- 2018. Event: Belgium Grand Prix. Accident: Charles Leclerc ended up with Fernando Alonso’s car over his cockpit
- 2020. Event: Belgium Grand Prix. Accident: The Halo System prevented Antonio Giovinazzi’s car from hitting George Russell’s head during a multiple-car collision
- 2020. Event: Bahrain Grand Prix. Accident: Romain Grosjean’s car crashed at high speed into a barrier. It split in two and burst into flames, and the Halo System saw him avoid serious injury and demonstrated the best example to date of just how important this safety feature is
- 2021. Event: Italian Grand Prix. Accident: A collision between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton showed that it protected Hamilton’s head from being impacted by Verstappen’s airborne car
- 2022. Event: British Grand Prix. Accident: In Roy Nissany and Dennis Hauger’s serious collision, the Halo System prevented a potential decapitation. Also, Zhou Guanyu’s car collided with a catch fence, and although Zhou was unharmed in the red-flag-inducing crash, the outcome would have been far more severe without the protection of the Halo System
Final note
The Halo System safety feature installed in cars today is now an integral part of the sport and has been hailed as one of the most significant safety features introduced in the sport in modern times.
It will go on to save countless lives and has helped set a new standard that can not only prevent serious injury or death but also enable drivers to push the boundaries of what is humanly possible in the sport. Divers now enjoy the comfort of knowing the Halo System is there to protect them in the event of an accident.