Romain Grosjean believes additional cockpit protection is not needed in Formula 1, and he feels the Shield device trialled for the first time at Silverstone on Friday is just as bad as the Halo system that was tested last season.
After the inconclusive test of the Shield on Friday at Silverstone, with Sebastian Vettel only completing one lap before complaining of feeling dizzy, Haas F1 Team driver Grosjean feels that a good solution for cockpit protection has yet to be found.
“I’ve made myself clear since the beginning: we don’t need anything,” said Grosjean at Silverstone on Friday. “Obviously the test was not very conclusive today.
“I’m against every Halo or shield or whatever, it’s not Formula 1. It’s as bad as the Halo. I tried the Halo last year, I hated it, it made me sick, so we haven’t yet found a good solution.”
Grosjean became a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association earlier this season after replacing Jenson Button, and the Frenchman has revealed that the group no longer discuss cockpit protection, but admits there is a split of opinion about whether it is needed or not.
“We are always pushing the safety element, but it’s not up to us to take the decision,” added Grosjean. “The drivers are very divided [on cockpit safety]. We’ve actually stopped discussing it, because it’s safety related.
“We don’t make the rules. We are up for better safety, but it’s not up for us to come up with a solution or say we want this or this.”
