Halo
The Halo is a curved titanium safety bar mounted above the driver's cockpit in open-wheel racing cars, designed to protect the driver's head from impacts, debris, and collisions during crashes.
Introduced by the FIA (the governing body of international motorsport) in 2018, the Halo represents one of the most significant safety advancements in modern racing. It looks like a protective arch or wishbone that sits directly in front of and above the driver's helmet, creating a barrier between their head and potential dangers.
The structure consists of three titanium tubes that connect to the car's chassis at three mounting points. Titanium was chosen because it's incredibly strong yet relatively lightweight—the entire Halo weighs about 7 kilograms (15 pounds). Despite its light weight, the device can withstand forces equivalent to the weight of a double-decker bus, making it strong enough to handle extreme impacts.
When the Halo was first announced, it faced criticism from fans and some drivers who felt it looked unattractive and changed the traditional open-cockpit appearance of racing cars. However, opinions shifted dramatically after the device began saving lives in real-world accidents.
The Halo proved its worth spectacularly during Romain Grosjean's horrifying crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. His car split in half and caught fire after penetrating a barrier at high speed. The Halo deflected the barrier's metal rails away from his head, allowing him to escape with relatively minor injuries from what could have been a fatal accident.
Another dramatic example occurred at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix when Max Verstappen's car landed on top of Lewis Hamilton's vehicle during a collision. The Halo prevented Verstappen's rear tire from striking Hamilton's helmet, protecting him from what would likely have been a serious head injury or worse.
The safety device is now mandatory in Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula E, and several other open-wheel racing categories worldwide. Each Halo is manufactured to identical specifications by FIA-approved suppliers, though teams can add aerodynamic fairings around it to improve airflow.
While drivers initially reported that the central pillar slightly obstructs their forward vision, most have adapted quickly and now consider this minor inconvenience a worthwhile trade-off for the protection it provides. The device doesn't interfere with drivers entering or exiting the cockpit during normal conditions, and it's designed to allow escape even in emergency situations.
The Halo continues to evolve, with ongoing research into how it can be further improved and adapted for other forms of motorsport. Its success has fundamentally changed attitudes toward driver safety equipment, demonstrating that protection and performance can coexist in modern racing.