how acceptance of the F1 halo saved Lewis Hamilton from possible tragedy

It’s too easy to dismiss near-misses in motorsport as miracles. At the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, the halo was used again and protected Lewis Hamilton from serious injuries when Max Verstappen’s Red Bull rolled onto the roof of his Mercedes. Hamilton got away with a neck pain and a lump on his head, but it could have been much, much worse.

The injuries that the high-strength titanium halo has prevented and saved lives over the past four seasons are no wonder. They stem from a commitment to increasing safety and ultimately cherishing the lives of those who risk theirs.

The halo is the newest and most prominent example of Formula 1’s pursuit of safety, started in the sixties by drivers like Jackie Stewart and has been seriously carried on since the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger in Imola in 1994.

If it weren’t for the halo, it would be possible that the F1 was facing another era of numerous tragedies.

First fears: “It destroys the DNA of an F1 car”

When the Halo was launched for the 2018 season, the concept was far from popular. While the goal was to improve safety by saving drivers from the very real problem of debris and potentially fatal bruises and accidents, it would fundamentally change the look of single-seat open-wheeled cars at the highest level. For many, that was a step too far.

Although many things had changed in Formula 1 over the decades – rear and front wings, rear-engined cars to name a few – the driver’s exposed and visible head was ubiquitous.

Three-time world champion Niki Lauda, ​​who knew a thing or two about dangerous accidents, said devastatingly that the halo was the “wrong decision” that destroyed the DNA of an F1 car.

His compatriot Toto Wolff was similarly negative. “I’m not impressed by the whole thing and if you give me a chainsaw, I would take it off,” said the Mercedes team boss at the time.

Martin Brundle, meanwhile, said he expected the device to “cause as many problems as it fixes” and “keep the gladiators hidden.”