This Is What Red Bull’s F1 Cockpit Protection Device Could Look Like
Earlier this month the FIA’s ‘halo’ cockpit protection prototype debuted during winter testing, with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel briefly trying it out in Spain. It certainly sparked quite a discussion, with the unusual looking device being the FIA’s preferred option to improve cockpit safety, which it is looking to introduce in 2017.
But Red Bull is said to be developing an alternative cockpit protector. Renowned technical F1 illustrator has produced these drawings for Motorsport.com of what the device, which team boss Christian Horner described as “more of a canopy – open topped - like a bigger windscreen” – could look like.
The acrylic canopy with an open top and two supports on either side, rather than the ‘halo’ design’s one middle support, is certainly a more elegant design but it still raises plenty of questions to do with safety and driver extraction.
Driver safety is a big topic following the tragic deaths of Jules Bianchi and Justin Wilson last year. The FIA intends to introduce a cockpit protector in 2017 but the ‘halo’ concept and prototype devices were met with mixed responses from drivers, as well as teams and fans.
Do you prefer this design or the ‘halo’? Let us know in the comments!
Comments
And if the glass breaks?
You will have a blind driver
It’s acrylic, not actual glass, so if it breaks it’ll just be bits of plastic flying around
I’d like to claim that I came up with it… I don’t care about all the r&d red bull have done, I posted it before them :-D
Who knows maybe red bull was testing before you posted that
[DELETED]
Better looking than just the halo. But this kinda goes against F1, it got a lot of it name by being open-topped???
Its a formula 1 spider
I think it’s very F1, perhaps even a bit of a throwback.
that is what it shouldve been in the first place
Awesome! Looks much better than the flip flop solution from Mercedes/Ferrari. It also seems more protective due to the acrylic canopy. Felipe Massa’s accident in Hungary 2009 would be much weaker had this canopy been installed. Pilot removal doesn’t seem like an issue either.
if the canopy was longer i bet that the aerodynamic problem would be solved
Good for a driver and ofc protection is the key . btw its look nice :P
Those two bars will hinder the vision of the drivers even more so than the halo concept in my opinion. All though it does look better
It probably will effect visability