Whilst Fernando Alonso admits the aesthetics are not ideal, the Spaniard feels there should not be any debate about the introduction of the Halo head protection system, particularly as it has come into Formula 1 as a safety device.
The Halo has become a mandatory device in 2018, and the McLaren F1 Team driver saw at first hand how his team has integrated the device on their 2018 challenger, the MCL33, but he says it won’t take long for Formula 1 fans to forget about it once the season gets underway.
“Yeah, I’m sure of that,” said Alonso to Sky Sports when asked whether the Halo would be forgotten about during the 2018 season.
“This is a device that’s a safety device, it’s head protection for the drivers, so there should not be any debate on that, as long as it’s a safety device.
“Yeah, aesthetics aren’t the best at the moment, and in the future I’m sure that the sport and the teams will find a way to make it a little bit nicer, for the fans, you know, and for the cars to look a little bit better.”
Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel shares Alonso’s views, and speaking at the launch of the SF71H on Thursday, says everyone will get used to the Halo in next to no time.
“During the seat fit it was okay,” said Vettel. “It was actually less intrusive than I thought. So I’m looking forward to getting out on the track. I’m pretty sure that everyone will get used to it.”
