The Halo device: Incredible safety stories

The Halo Device: Life-Saving Moments in Motorsport

Introduced in 2018, the Halo has likely been a lifesaver on multiple occasions. A safety device once heavily criticized but now indispensable. The Hamilton-Verstappen case.

Many stories in motorsport teach us that safety advancements are often met with criticism at first. Think of seat belts: in the past, some drivers at Le Mans used to leave them unfastened at the start to save time. Or the HANS device, introduced in 1994 after the tragic death of Ayrton Senna, designed to prevent violent neck movements. Initially, it was seen as uncomfortable and restrictive, limiting both movement and visibility. The same happened with the introduction of closed cockpits in Le Mans prototypes, which marked the end of the beloved open-top “barchetta” style. In short, many of today’s standard safety features were initially controversial.

Today, however, we want to focus on one of the most recent additions: the Halo.

The Halo became mandatory in Formula 1 starting from the 2018 season, after years of studies and testing by the FIA. Its introduction was a response to the growing need to protect drivers’ heads from debris or collisions with other cars. Following its adoption in F1, lower series such as Formula 2 and Formula 3 introduced it in the same year. Formula E followed in its fifth season, implementing it on the new-generation cars. Formula 4 took a more gradual approach, making the Halo mandatory for all new cars starting from 2021. The W Series featured it from its debut in 2019.

The Halo was later adopted across other FIA championships as well, including Formula Regional and various junior single-seater series, as part of a broader effort to unify safety standards throughout the different levels of motorsport.

“Here, we discussed a different incident—the one involving Felipe Massa—which might have had very different consequences if the device had already been introduced:” https://sportchaos.live/felipe-massa-the-schocking-2009-budapest-crash/

The Hamilton Verstappen Crash in Monza 2021

Well, maybe we’re still able to watch one of the greatest drivers of all time thanks to the protection the Halo gave to Lewis Hamilton’s helmet in that very race.
The incident between Hamilton and Max Verstappen during the 2021 Italian Grand Prix was one of the most terrifying and talked-about moments of that season. It happened shortly after the British driver’s pit stop, when Verstappen attempted an overtake on the inside at the first chicane. The two cars collided, and Verstappen’s Red Bull literally ended up on top of Hamilton’s Mercedes, with the rear wheel hitting Hamilton’s helmet.
The Halo proved to be crucial, preventing what could have been a devastating impact.

The rear wheel of the Red Bull ended up on top of the Mercedes’ Halo, right above Hamilton’s head. It was clear that the Halo prevented potentially serious consequences by protecting Hamilton from a direct impact with the opponent’s car wheel.

As we can see from this freeze frame, the Halo managed to encompass the right rear wheel, preventing it from crashing down onto the driver’s head. In those few seconds, the structure withstood the full kinetic force of an F1 car traveling at a speed that would have literally snapped the driver’s neck. Had the wheel fallen directly on him, the damage would have been far worse than just a backache.

The incident once again highlighted the importance of the Halo system for safety in F1. Verstappen was subsequently found mainly responsible and was penalized with a three-place grid drop for the next race. As long as everyone walked away unscathed and we can share this story with a valuable lesson behind it, we hold the Halo close. Yes, that famous Halo—initially rejected by many because it made the cars look less sleek…”