Despite seeing Charles Leclerc escape injury from his crash at the Belgian Grand Prix, Nico Hulkenberg maintains he is still “divided” in his opinion of Formula 1’s Halo cockpit protection device.
The Halo was mandated as of this season as part of the sport’s push to prevent the risk of a driver suffering a serious injury or fatality around the cockpit area.
Hulkenberg, who has always been against F1’s decision to avert to cockpit safety, admits he’s still not “a big fan” of the Halo but can appreciate the part it played in limiting the chance of causing an injury.
“I think whilst I am still not a big fan of halo and the device, I have to see the facts and admit that it does bring something to F1, especially the safety we appreciate in the car,” Hulkenberg said.
“So, divided, mixed feelings about it still, but it is not down to me anyway, and it is what it is.
“For sure it has proven pretty useful and a good device. We can only speculate on what would have happened without it, but it looks pretty clear from the point the tyre marks were all over the halo.
“So from that point of view it has done a very good job to keep the head safe.”
This latest incident has seen many call for the debate over whether cockpit protection should be in the sport to stop for good, and Leclerc too agrees that there is no doubt the Halo deserves its place in F1.
“Looking back at the images, we cannot know what will have happened without it, but obviously I was quite happy to have it over my head,” he said.
“And it deserves to be in F1 now. Whether it looks good or bad, I don’t think that matters any more.”
