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F1 is dubbed as the pinnacle of motorsport and as much as adrenaline the sport rushes through the blood of fans and drivers, driving around at over 300 kilometers per hour isn't the safest thing to do.
Although numerous measures have been taken to increase the safety of drivers, the danger in the sport still persists to an extent.
However, one particular introduction in the 2018 season of F1 has saved many lives until now - the introduction of the 'halo' on top of the cockpit of all the F1 cars.
It is basically there to prevent any head-on crashes or debris hitting the driver directly. When it was first introduced in the sport, there were many criticisms that followed it.
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Many mentioned that it was an obstruction to the driver's view, its "terrible aesthetics," etc.
It was also said that the halo would add a lot of weight to the cars because it was meant to be strong.
However, it adds only seven kg to the rest of the weight of the car because titanium is used to construct the life-saving, $17,000 structure. It can amazingly withstand over 15 times the weight of an F1 car.
Anyhow, it was mandated by the FIA on all of the F1 cars and is now used in all of FIA's open-wheel racing action.
The halo, ever since its introduction, has saved multiple lives in F1 and has proven to be one of the safest additions to the car.
Here are some of the incidents where the halo saved F1 drivers' lives.
#4 Charles Leclerc - 2018 Belgian Grand Prix
In the year that it was introduced, halo showed its worth during the race around the Spa-Francorchamps after Charles Leclerc was involved in a turn 1 incident on the opening lap of the Belgian Grand Prix. It was his rookie season.
At the back of the grid, Nico Hulkenberg had a rough start as he locked up his Renault and went straight into the back of Fernando Alonso's McLaren.
This sent the latter flying to Leclerc's Sauber, who remained protected because of the halo. The structure was badly scratched, revealing how fatal the crash could have been.
#3 Romain Grosjean - 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix
Romain Grosjean's crash during the opening lap of the Bahrain GP of 2020 is perhaps one of the worst crashes a driver has been recently involved in.
As infamous and unfortunate as the crash was, it proved how safe the sport had become at that point.
After the start of the race, Grosjean had a tangle with Daniil Kvyat at the exit of turn 3 and went straight into the barrier, splitting it, and his car turned into a ball of fire.
After about 20 seconds, he was amazingly seen jumping out of the car. He only suffered burns on his hands despite the fact that his car went through a barrier and split into two.
He mentioned that it was the halo that saved his life, going through a barrier and still being alive.
"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," Grosjean said.
A similar, unfortunate, and infamous incident took place during the 1974 US Grand Prix, where Helmuth Koinigg went through a similar barrier and was decapitated on the spot.
The halo saved Grosjean's life. His car was recently put up at the F1 Exhibition in Spain, reflecting the level of safety in the sport.
Further changes in the design of the car and placement of the fuel tank were made in 2022 to not let a car turn into a fireball.
#2 Lewis Hamilton - 2021 Italian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton is arguably the most successful Formula 1 driver in the history of the sport. However, his life was too saved by the halo during the 2021 GP around Monza.
On lap 26, Hamilton was coming out of the pits, racing Max Verstappen on the way out. On turns 1 and 2, both drivers engaged themselves in a close battle, in an attempt to stay ahead.
There was almost no space left for Verstappen as they went through the chicane, and as a result, his Red Bull jumped the 'sausage kerb,' and went well over Hamilton's Mercedes. Halo was seen protecting the life of yet another driver as it seemed.
Toto Wolff, the team principal of Mercedes, later mentioned that there were tire marks on Hamilton's helmet, proving that if it wasn't for the halo, the seven-time world champion would have lost his life.
#1 Zhou Guanyu - 2022 British Grand Prix
The rookie season brought in a lot of surprise for Zhou Guanyu, as his crash at the start of the British GP around Silverstone made the entire track silent.
Right after lights out, Pierre Gasly tried to make a move on two drivers at once - Guanyu to his left, and George Russell to his right.
As the Frenchman tried to go between both drivers after having a strong start, it was apparent that he was about to be sandwiched as Russell closed in on his left. He lifted up, but couldn't pull away fast enough, as a result, Russell hit his rear on Gasly's front right, then went right into Guanyu, turning his car upside down and into a spin, throwing him off into the catch fence at the end of T1.
What was more unfortunate was that the roll bar on Guanyu's Alfa Romeo broke, but his head was well protected by the halo as he was safely taken out of the car, without a single scratch.
These incidents prove that the addition of the halo in F1 is indeed one of the best decisions the authorities made. It has saved multiple lives, not only in F1 but in other series as well.
As the sport continues to grow, more and more safety features are being thought of and added to the cars, to make racing more fun and safe for drivers.
