Juan Pablo Montoya said the hotter cockpit temperatures he experienced when he first tested an aeroscreen made him wish he could use an open visor.
The former Formula 1 driver, who has mainly driven sports cars with a closed cockpit in recent years, had his first test in an IndyCar with an Aeroscreen in Laguna Seca last month.
“It wasn’t bad getting used to,” said Montoya after returning to McLaren SP for another test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week. “I thought it was a little more intrusive.
“It’s definitely a bum pain getting in and out of the car, and it’s a lot hotter. It wasn’t so bad here in the oval.
“I did a test in Laguna. You don’t get a lot of air on a street circuit. That was kind of shocking. “
The Aeroscreen is similar to the F1 Halo, but contains a screen laminated with polycarbonate. This provides the driver with additional protection from smaller debris, but the reduced airflow around the driver also increases cockpit temperatures. Montoya said he would have preferred to use an open visor while driving.
“It’s kind of weird because you’re really in a little bubble,” he said. “Once you’ve driven, it feels a bit like a sports car.
“But you have a closed visor, I still don’t understand why you have to run [one]. I don’t think you have to. I think you probably do, but I’m used to sports cars – same thing, you’ve opened the visor so you can get a little more air.
“It’s good, it’s okay, I think, from a safety point of view. It’s a great thing, it’s all about getting used to it. “
Montoya said it wasn’t harder for him to drive the car with an aeroscreen. “Because I come from a sports car and a closed cockpit car, it’s the same for me. It doesn’t really change much.
“For the guys who are used to the open cockpit, it could be a little more difficult. I’ve driven a lot of closed cars. For the past four years I have mainly driven sports cars. [LM]P2 cars. It feels about the same. “
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