'Halo' Proves Worth in Opening Lap Crash at Spa

[Filip Carlén]

Full canopy is safer than the halo

Maybe. Yes, it is safer for debris and hits, but it may slow the time it takes to get out of the car during a fire. This was discussed a lot when the halo was introduced, that it had to be easy enough to exit from during a fire to not add any risks there.

 

[Rodent]

Good, I'm glad we and Ferrari didn't have to witness the loss of another young promising driver. Hopefully one day we'll get a prettier solution but for now I'll take this.

I will also say that I agree with Jim who's piling up the disagree X's today in that crashes can certainly be exciting, heck I go back to Spa 20 years ago and re-watch that spectacular crash fiesta of a start every now and again. Of course the key point to why I can enjoy all that carnage is that I know everyone walked away from it intact.

Safety's important, Senna, Bianchi and even those that made it like Bräck and Wickens show that every effort must be made to ensure we don't lose any more people.

 

[IMrIMike]

Debris, floor or tyre. If it´s gonna leave a mark like that on the car (halo) you don´t want that touch your helmet in any way. End of discussion really isn´t it

 

[NtsParadize]

Maybe. Yes, it is safer for debris and hits, but it may slow the time it takes to get out of the car during a fire. This was discussed a lot when the halo was introduced, that it had to be easy enough to exit from during a fire to not add any risks there.

Halo slows down extraction too, you know

 

[Filip Carlén]

I also would like to say that even if the car would not have hit Leclerc in this crash, even if it would be off by decimeters, it can still happen. What if Leclerc had spun a few more degrees before Alonso hit him? I could have killed him without the halo. I'm not saying that this definitely saved his life this time, but in an similar accident in the future it might kill someone without if the don't use the halo.

 

[el_mattpro]

Alonso flyes on Leclerc's car from behind to front, halo do nothing, check videos, not pictures taken from the front angle.

The worst thing about Halo is what people say, it looks like since the put the Halo on the car, every single crash is FATAL for the driver and he's alive because of the HALO, why? because people don't understand that until today the halo was useless, and today it was useless too, so they try to prove that the Halo es the best thing on the F1 for safety, so tell me, why F1 2017 cars that was the same fast and crash a lot, there was no Dead Driver? and today every single crash "oh he's alive because of the halo, without the halo he'll be probably dead".

Sry about the bad english

 

[Filip Carlén]

Halo slows down extraction too, you know

Yes, that is why a full canopy might be a bad idea since it adds even more time. They have made sure that the halo is safe for a fire, they can get out fast enough, but only just. The halo does indeed add time to climb out, not so much that it is unsafe during a fire. With a roof and a hatch/door to climb through it might add to much time.

 

[JayOTT]

You know how the FIA can prove me wrong? Show me LeClerc's onboard. Show the proof that the debris was heading for his head. Otherwise this is just like the Makino situation. "Our Halo saved a life, no we don't have the footage to prove it you'll just have to take our word for it."

 

[Filip Carlén]

Alonso flyes on Leclerc's car from behind to front, halo do nothing, check videos, not pictures taken from the front angle

I might be wrong, please link pictures to prove me wrong if so, but as i see it with this pic, Alonso comes down from above and hits Leclerc, not from behind. I don't see any damage in this pic, suggesting that Leclercs halo has not been hit yet, and is about to be hit by the McLarens floor coming down. That means that if it would be for the halo, it would come down on Lecleres hands and/or head.

 

[Filip Carlén]

You know how the FIA can prove me wrong? Show me LeClerc's onboard. Show the proof that the debris was heading for his head. Otherwise this is just like the Makino situation. "Our Halo saved a life, no we don't have the footage to prove it you'll just have to take our word for it."

The did, 0:55. But the camera-lens broke when Alonso hit him.

 

[el_mattpro]

hands of the driver are above the body of the car, i mean "inside". Don't know how to say it on English, but if you check the video you'll see the car of Alonso flying from behind to front and turning to the Right while doing it, if the car is going down in the head direction, it will touch the car of leclerc ahead of him, but the halo is higher than the driver head that's why the car touch the halo and turn vertically, i mean, it fall on the halo 1/2 - Front part. I don't know if the Mclaren hits the front of leclerc after touch te Halo, i think it doesnt, if that's the case there you go the speed-height-direction of the Alonso's car, the Halo just deflect the fall fordward

 

[Terry Rock]

I really like the Indycar screen a whole lot more than the Halo, but there can be no denying its usefulness today.
The fact that Leclerc was able to walk away unharmed, is a testament to the fact that something needed to be done to better protect the drivers.
I for one am happy he and all the drivers involved, are okay.
To those of you talking about crashes bringing excitement...and drivers knowing the risks, I say go find another sport.
Racing is not about contact.
Perhaps you should go watch Rugby.

 

[el_mattpro]

Sry about the resolution, i just make a screenshot of the Youtube Video tumbnail (idk the word)
Red - Alonso's car direction
Blue - Halo space
Green - Alonso's car direction after touch the Halo
@Filip Carlén this is was i try to said, but i'm bad with the Lenguaje, sry

 

[Benutzername]

What even is this discussion about?

Clearly the halo is a good thing. One can't be so blind to deny it.
Only question is whether its the best solution. I still cant believe that it is. A strong screen ala indy car looks safer and better to me.

 

[Richard Dastardly]

Wouldn't have come near his head - stuff like that has happened before without anyone's head being crushed too even with more upright driver positions ( it's mostly the rollbar at work, tbh ). Not a reason not to have the halo though, just that it didn't do anything but keep the car further away here.

 

[Steve Worrell]

Alonso flyes on Leclerc's car from behind to front, halo do nothing, check videos, not pictures taken from the front angle.

The worst thing about Halo is what people say, it looks like since the put the Halo on the car, every single crash is FATAL for the driver and he's alive because of the HALO, why? because people don't understand that until today the halo was useless, and today it was useless too, so they try to prove that the Halo es the best thing on the F1 for safety, so tell me, why F1 2017 cars that was the same fast and crash a lot, there was no Dead Driver? and today every single crash "oh he's alive because of the halo, without the halo he'll be probably dead".

Sry about the bad english

Alonso's car literally falls on leclerc's halo from above. How people can't see this is beyond me.

 

[Filip Carlén]

Just noticed a thing, this might "solve" it. Look at this pic, especially Alonsos right front wheel suspension. It is pretty intact, and at the same angel as the other tire, suggesting that it hasn't been hit super hard yet.

But look at this pic just a few frames later. The wheel is really crocked and seams to have taken a hard hit. The only thing it could have hit right there is Leclercs halo.

Looking at the front angel the wheels are straight and pointing the same why until the McLaren rotates to much and hides the right wheel, which is about when he hit Leclerc. Pic 3 here is right when he went in to the air, and pic 4 is right before the wheel gets hidden. Looks to like it is "intact" in both pics, suggesting that the damage seen in pic 2 is done by Leclercs halo

 

[JayOTT]

The did, 0:55. But the camera-lens broke when Alonso hit him.

Which leaves us at an unfortunate impasse. With the best camera angle for this crash compromised, there's no way for anyone to prove or disprove that the Halo did it's job. This won't stop the FIA from crowing about a life saved despite not having the evidence they need to be able to say that though.

I'm sorry, but I must stick to my belief that the Halo causes more problems than it solves. I know from racing games that even the slightest vision hindrance can significantly lower your level of driving, and surely that translates to real life too. Yes, they can see through it, but can they see through it well enough?

EDIT: If Filip's analysis is correct, which I believe it to be looking at the footage myself... that front right wheel was going to miss LeClerc entirely.

 

[el_mattpro]

Exactly, the only thing that could hit the "Leclerc's head" in the accident, is the right front wheel of Alonso's car, otherwise there's no hit for his head even without the halo. We need more content to proove that if the halo wasn't there, the Wheel will hit or not Lecler's head, but i think we'll never have that content on our hands, or at least not these 2 days ahead, because as i said, the car was falling to the Halo's front end - midle, and when it touch the halo, the mclaren keep turning to te right so there's where the Right Front wheel hit's the Halo and gets Vertically (the car) to the floor while Leclerc was braking

 

[Jason Mullin]

We can discuss the effectiveness of the halo, but I always look to what caused the accident.
Here it's no accident just very poor driving by Nico Hülkenberg.