The Halo!

One of the newest additions to the single-seater cars this year is the Halo cockpit protective device. It has already made its debut on the Formula 1 cars, while this weekend at Bahrain International Circuit, it will be used on the Formula 2 cars for the first time.

So far, these are the two series which will see the Halo added on its cars for the current season. Even though it is being implemented as a safety device, but aesthetically it is not pleasing which has not only turned off a lot of fans, but even teams and drivers.

It is well known that the cars won’t look great with the Halo, but the argument of safety wins over comfortably. Of course, the safety device will see further improvements especially in the looks department to make the cars look much better.

One of the questions that most drivers face is if they can look-through the device and if it is hampering the view. India’s Arjun Maini, who has driven the F2 car with the Halo, has similar opinions to the F1 drivers, who have already raced with the device in Australia.

“To be honest, I am used to the Halo now,” said Maini exclusively. “It’s only when I came back into the pits [during testing], I realised that I had just done a session with the Halo. I am all for safety and if this device could save mine or any other drivers life then I am all for it.

“Of course, it doesn’t look the best at the moment but I’m sure in the future the modifications will make it pleasing visually as well.” Another crucial part with the Halo is the driver ‘getting in and out’ of the car at various points.

Even though with the increased extraction time, the difficulty in entering and exiting the cockpit has been talked upon. While the drivers are slowly getting used to it under normal circumstances, however, it remains to be seen how they will react when they are involved in a big crash.

“We just need a bit of practice [to get out], but during the tests, I was able to get out of the car quite comfortably,” he revealed. Unlike F1, the F2 counterparts are not allowed to bring any aero add-ons on the device apart from putting stickers of the team or driver or sponsors.

When asked if Halo bring any advantage in terms of speed to the car, Maini said otherwise: “If you look scientifically, the Halo would be a disadvantage. Not only because it is heavy, but because it’s so high up that it raises the center of mass of the car. So, certainly a car without the Halo will be faster.”

The Bangalorean is gearing up for his first season in the senior most series before getting into F1. He will be competing with Trident alongside fellow Haas F1 junior Santino Ferrucci. In the two pre-season tests, Maini finished seventh and second respectively.

The series has a host of competitive drivers and performing against them will be a challenge for the Indian. A good result in his rookie season against a good set of drivers will certainly put him on a better position in his quest to become the third Indian F1 driver.