Halo system

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Halo system on the Ferrari SF71H

The halo system (from English halo , German  halo , official name secondary roll structure , German  secondary rollover structure ) is a safety system in motor racing for monopostos that is supposed to protect the driver's head. The word is derived from ancient Greek ἅλως hálōs , German 'Lichthof' . The system was presented in October 2015, and the first test drives with prototypes took place as part of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship .

In July 2017, the FIA decided that the system must be available as a new safety measure on every Formula 1 vehicle from the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship .

construction

Side view of the Halo system on the Spark SRT_05e

The system consists of a bracket that surrounds the driver's head and is connected to the vehicle chassis at three points. The component is made of titanium and weighed around seven kilograms in the version presented in 2016. The weight increased to nine kilograms in 2017. On the upper side, the system may be clad aerodynamically. Shortly before the system was introduced, the media reported that the weight had increased to 14 kilograms, which, in addition to the component itself, resulted from structural changes to the monocoque that were necessary due to the fastening and the loads required by the FIA in the crash tests .

The system may not be developed by the Monopostos designers themselves, but must be produced by a manufacturer specified by the FIA. It must be attached symmetrically to the vehicle and attached 975 mm from the rearmost point of the cockpit opening. The front fastening point must be 640 mm above the vehicle underbody, the two rear fastening points 675 mm. The driver's steering wheel and helmet must be located below an imaginary line that connects the front attachment point of the system with the roll bar behind the cockpit.

The FIA ​​describes the requirements for the Halo system in FIA Standard 8869-2018. During tests, the system has to withstand loads of up to 125  kN , which roughly corresponds to the weight that acts on a mass of 12,500 kg.

In a simulation carried out by the FIA ​​with data based on 40 real accidents, the use of the system resulted in a 17 percent increase in the driver's chance of survival.

History and Development

An earlier prototype on the Ferrari SF16-H at the 2016 British Grand Prix
Side view
Prototype of the Halo system on the McLaren MCL32 at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix

According to the FIA, despite many advances in motorsport, protecting the head of a monoposto driver has been an issue for years. The triggers for this include several accidents in recent motor racing history, some of which were fatal. In qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2009 , Felipe Massa's helmet was hit by a metal spring weighing around 800 grams that had been lost by a vehicle in front. Massa suffered cuts and a concussion, a fracture in the skull area and was initially in mortal danger after the accident. Henry Surtees (2009) and Justin Wilson (2015) were hit on the head in accidents in their monopostos by a torn off wheel or a piece of debris and suffered fatal injuries. Once with Jules Bianchi at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2014 and a Formula 1 racing driver had sustained in a crash severe head injuries and several months died of his injuries later, much discussion arose about how the head of a single-seater pilots can be better protected .

The Halo system is based on a design by Mercedes ; the development work in the simulator was carried out by Anthony Davidson . According to the original plans of the FIA, the Halo system should be introduced in the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship . However, the introduction was postponed for a year in July 2016 because the system was not yet fully developed. However, all drivers should test the system at least once in the remaining free practice sessions of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship. In January 2017, FIA Safety Director Laurent Mekies announced that development was complete and the system was ready for use.

The FIA ​​considered three basic accident scenarios: collisions between two vehicles, contact of a vehicle with the environment (for example the line boundary) and collisions between vehicles and objects. Tests showed that the Halo system could withstand 15 times the static load of a complete vehicle, significantly reducing the risk of injury to the driver. In addition, in many cases the system has been able to prevent the helmet from contacting a barrier or the boundary of the route, using a number of past accidents as references. When investigating collisions of the vehicle with objects, it was found that the Halo system successfully distracted large objects. It also offered increased protection even with small rubble.

The system will not only be used in Formula 1, but in all FIA formula classes . However, this should happen with the introduction of new generations of vehicles, as the vehicles are to be specially designed for use with the Halo system in the cockpit area. In addition to the smaller formula classes, this also includes the FIA Formula E championship .

The US IndyCar Series was also interested in the introduction. However, since there were obstructions to the view in the steep curves of the oval courses , the series initially decided against the introduction of the Halo system. In 2019, a cockpit protection was presented, which was a combination of halo system and windshield.

After the FIA ​​wanted to let the drivers decide whether the Halo system will be introduced in the Formula 1 World Championship in 2018 and, according to media reports, they voted against the introduction with a narrow majority, the system was already considered to have failed. However, since possible alternatives could not be implemented by the 2018 season, the FIA ​​decided in July 2017 against the votes of nine of the ten teams in the Formula 1 World Championship to introduce the Halo system. It has been speculated that by introducing this, the Automobile Sports Association wanted to prevent possible lawsuits in the event of another fatal accident after Jules Bianchi's parents filed a lawsuit against the FIA.

The Grand Prix Drivers' Association expressly welcomed the introduction, as only improved safety measures could provide the basis for making the vehicles even faster.

In August 2017 the F2 2018 , the emergency vehicle for the FIA Formula 2 Championship from 2018 , was presented. This was the first vehicle designed to use the Halo system.

production

The company CP Tech GmbH in Büren , which belongs to the Nedschroef Group, was announced as the first homologated manufacturer of the Halo system .

criticism

Initially, there were concerns about the system's central attachment point in front of the driver, which was not confirmed during test drives. The main argument against the system, in addition to its appearance, is the fact that the system hinders the driver when leaving the vehicle and the rescue team when rescuing an injured pilot and thus carries a greater risk than it offers protection.

Another point of criticism is the high mass of the Halo system. Its relatively high position also shifts the center of mass of the vehicles upwards, which reduces the cornering speeds that can be driven. The lap times are estimated to increase by several tenths of a second.

In the FIA ​​Formula E Championship, the introduction of the Halo system for the Spark SRT_05e planned for the 2018/19 season resulted in a delay in delivery. In addition, it was criticized that, despite the fundamental design differences, the system developed for Formula 1 was adopted almost unchanged. The cost of the system in the FIA ​​Formula E championship is 12,700 euros per vehicle.

After the Halo system at Sauber C37 of Charles Leclerc at the Belgian Grand Prix in 2018 shortly after takeoff from the right front tire of the Ascended in an accident McLaren MCL33 of Fernando Alonso was hit and the tires stayed away from the head of the driver, public criticism came in from the Halo system strongly after. The FIA ​​has initiated measures to reduce the system's impairment of vision of the onboard cameras attached to the vehicles in the Formula 1 World Championship and to improve the optics of the system as part of the rule changes originally planned for 2021 but later postponed to 2022 .

Alternative protection systems

The shield system at the British GP on the Ferrari SF70H

As an alternative to Halo system developed Red Bull Racing a Aeroscreen called windshield , which was not pursued by the FIA, however, after extensive investigation. After the drivers spoke out against the introduction of the Halo system, the FIA ​​developed a windshield made of polyvinyl chloride called a Shield , based on the Aeroscreen concept . During a first test drive as part of the 2017 Great Britain Grand Prix , Sebastian Vettel complained of distorted vision and dizziness when driving due to the curvature of the window and therefore had Shield removed from his car after just one lap. According to the drivers, problems would also arise in wet conditions, so that the windshield obstructed the driver's view even more. An introduction in 2018 was then ruled out, also because the teams have to consider the aerodynamic effects of the system early on when designing their vehicles.

Further rule changes in the course of the introduction

With the introduction of the Halo system in the Formula 1 World Championship, the time was increased in which a driver had to be able to leave his vehicle in an emergency. This became necessary because the Halo system might hinder drivers getting in and out. Instead of the previous five seconds, the drivers now had seven seconds; it was now twelve instead of ten seconds until the steering wheel was attached to the steering column . The five-second rule was introduced to protect drivers in the event of a fire , particularly as a result of an accident. However, since racing cars have only rarely caught fire for many years due to the use of plastic fuel tanks and other safety measures, the FIA ​​accepted that the drivers would need longer to get out of the vehicle in an emergency.

With the introduction of the Halo system, the minimum weight of vehicles in the Formula 1 World Championship has been increased by five kilograms.

Web links

Commons : Halo System  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Technical Regulation. FIA , September 21, 2017, accessed December 10, 2017 .
  2. ↑ Dieter Rencken, Dominik Sharaf: Cockpit protection: FIA goes into test operation with three variants. Motorsport-Total.com, October 25, 2015, accessed November 11, 2016 .
  3. ↑ a b Dieter Rencken, Heiko Stritzke: Formula 1 2018: FIA pushes Halo against the will of the teams. Motorsport-Total.com, July 19, 2017, accessed July 19, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Best time in first training with Halo - Rosberg: Success. Zeit Online , August 28, 2016, accessed November 11, 2016 .
  5. ↑ Dominik Sharaf: Why, why, why? The facts about introducing Halo. Motorsport-Total.com, September 21, 2017, accessed September 21, 2017 .
  6. ↑ a b Adam Cooper, Oleg Karpow, Christian Nimmervoll: "Ugly" Halo makes Formula 1 cars much heavier. Motorsport-Total.com, September 21, 2017, accessed September 21, 2017 .
  7. ↑ FIA STANDARD 8869-2018. (PDF) FIA , December 6, 2017, accessed on February 12, 2018 (English).
  8. ↑ Michael Schmidt: Decision before Hockenheim. 17 percent better chance of survival. auto-motor-und-sport.de , July 22, 2016, accessed on November 17, 2016 .
  9. ↑ a b F1 - Why Halo is the best solution. FIA, July 22, 2017, accessed December 10, 2017 .
  10. ^ Fabian Hust: Massa in intensive care unit: bone fracture on the skull. Motorsport-Total.com, July 25, 2009, accessed December 2, 2016 .
  11. ↑ Massa still in a coma. Stern.de , July 26, 2009, accessed December 10, 2017 .
  12. ↑ Manuel Schulz: Vettel to Halo: Better ugly than dead. Appearance completely irrelevant. Motorsport-Magazin.com, March 4, 2016, accessed November 11, 2016 .
  13. ↑ Ferrari is testing the new "Halo" head protection. Spiegel Online , March 3, 2016, accessed November 11, 2016 .
  14. ↑ Dominik Sharaf: Cockpit protection developer: "It's like a windshield wiper". Formel1.de, February 5, 2016, accessed on November 11, 2016 .
  15. ↑ Norman Fischer, Dieter Rencken, Dominik Sharaf: No Halo for 2017: Formula 1 teams reject the system for the time being. Motorsport-Total.com, July 28, 2016, accessed November 11, 2016 .
  16. ↑ Sven Haidinger, Dieter Rencken: Despite the cancellation for 2017, teams promise: Halo will come! Formel1.de, August 2, 2016, accessed December 10, 2017 .
  17. ↑ Michael Schmidt: Halo needs more tests. Is the hidden halo coming? auto-motor-und-sport.de , July 29, 2016, accessed on November 11, 2016 .
  18. ↑ Jonathan Noble: F1 halo alternatives still 'on the table' - FIA. Autosport.com, January 18, 2017, accessed December 10, 2017 .
  19. ↑ Otto Zuber: FIA: Halo system in the future not only in Formula 1. Speedweek.com, June 28, 2016, accessed on November 11, 2016 .
  20. ↑ Norman Fischer: Halo introduction: FIA series would have to follow suit with Formula 1. Motorsport-Total.com, January 16, 2017, accessed January 16, 2017 .
  21. ↑ Norman Fischer: Cockpit protection: IndyCar wants to learn from Formula 1. Motorsport-Total.com, January 28, 2016, accessed November 11, 2016 .
  22. ↑ David Malsher: IndyCar considering F1-style cockpit shield design for new car. Autosport.com, October 7, 2017, accessed December 10, 2017 .
  23. ↑ INDYCAR announces plan for cockpit protection innovation. IndyCar , May 24, 2019, accessed on May 10, 2020 .
  24. ↑ Norman Fischer, Dieter Rencken, Dominik Sharaf: Halo from 2018: FIA wants to let drivers decide. Motorsport-Total.com, December 16, 2016, accessed July 19, 2017 .
  25. ↑ Markus Lüttgens: Media report: Formula 1 drivers vote against Halo. Motorsport-Total.com, February 1, 2017, accessed December 10, 2017 .
  26. ↑ Sven Haidinger, Dieter Rencken: Drivers split: After Halo, "Shield" is also controversial. Motorsport-Total.com, April 27, 2017, accessed July 19, 2017 .
  27. ↑ Karin Sturm: New safety concept in Formula 1. "What looks like shit is shit". Spiegel Online, July 28, 2017, accessed November 27, 2017 .
  28. ↑ Roman Wittemeier: Introduction of Halo 2018: Drivers Union is satisfied. Motorsport-Total.com, July 20, 2017, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  29. ^ Christian Menath: New Formula 2 car presented: Halo and 620 hp. Motorsport-Magazin.com, August 31, 2017, accessed December 10, 2017 .
  30. ↑ CP tech, a Nedschroef company, is the first supplier to produce a new cockpit protection system for Formula 1. Presseportal.de, January 15, 2018, accessed on February 12, 2018 .
  31. ↑ Christian Nimmervoll, Dieter Rencken: Change of course: Hamilton would prefer to stay with Halo. Motorsport-Total.com, September 16, 2016, accessed November 11, 2016 .
  32. ↑ Dieter Rencken, Juliane Ziegengeist: Lewis Hamilton: Halo is Formula 1's worst invention. Motorsport-Total.com, March 4, 2016, accessed on November 11, 2016 .
  33. ↑ Hermann Renner: Cockpit protection in Formula 1. Between the beak nose and the halo. FAZ.NET , August 26, 2016, accessed on November 15, 2016 .
  34. ↑ Dieter Rencken, Heiko Stritzke: Many more discussions about the advantages and disadvantages of Halo. Motorsport-Total.com, April 5, 2016, accessed November 11, 2016 .
  35. ↑ Tobias Wirtz: Di Grassi calls for a special Halo system for Formula E - delays in development. e-Formel.de, November 26, 2017, accessed on November 27, 2017 .
  36. ↑ Tobias Wirtz: FIA announces exact costs for new Formula E car & sets manufacturers deadlines. e-Formel.de, January 6, 2018, accessed on January 6, 2018 .
  37. ↑ Norman Fischer, Jonathan Noble, Oleg Karpow: After the spa horror: Is Halo now the wind of opinion? Motorsport-Total.com, August 30, 2018, accessed September 1, 2018 .
  38. ↑ Jonathan Noble: Due to Halo: Position of onboard camera will be adjusted in 2019. Motorsport-Total.com, August 31, 2018, accessed September 1, 2018 .
  39. ↑ Jonathan Noble, Maria Reyer: FIA: Halo should look "more aesthetically pleasing" from 2021. Motorsport-Total.com, September 1, 2018, accessed September 1, 2018 .
  40. ↑ Ian Parkes: Cockpit protection for 2017: "Aeroscreen" failed the FIA ​​test. Motorsport-Total.com, June 11, 2016, accessed November 11, 2016 .
  41. ^ A b Norman Fischer, Dieter Rencken: For 2018: FIA introduces drivers to the new "Shield" cockpit protection. Motorsport-Total.com, April 7, 2017, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  42. ↑ Heiko Stritzke: Squinted because of Shield: Problems with new cockpit protection. Motorsport-Total.com, July 14, 2017, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  43. ↑ Dieter Rencken, Heiko Stritzke: Horner on "Shield": For 2018 it is already too late. Motorsport-Total.com, July 18, 2017, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  44. ^ A b Christian Menath: New Formula 1 rules 2018: This has been decided by the FIA. Motorsport-Magazin.com, September 22, 2017, accessed November 6, 2017 .
  45. ↑ Dominik Sharaf: Why, why, why? The facts about introducing Halo in F1. Motorsport.com, September 21, 2017, accessed November 6, 2017 .
This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on December 17, 2017 .