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F1 British GP: Gasly unconvinced as ‘Halo’ makes Red Bull bow

Pierre Gasly says he wouldn't personally support the introduction of a 'halo' cockpit protection device from an aesthetic perspective despite saying it doesn't have terrible visibility implications.

The Frenchman became only the third driver to trial the controversial concept as Red Bull fitted the device to its car for the first time during in-season testing at Silverstone.

Prior to today only Ferrari had given the latest so-called 'Halo II' device a run on track, but Gasly was given the honour of driving with it, albeit only over a single installation lap right at the beginning of the morning session.

Admitting the sensation of the device is 'weird', though the Red Bull junior development driver says the driving implications is minimal, he doesn't personally favour it.

"It does not change much in terms of visibility but it feels weird to see something above your helmet, also on the straight you see this sort of big triangle above you," he said. "Now, I think you get used to it and you definitely can drive with it.

"But for me, Formula One has always been open cockpit. For sure, there are more risks but drivers have known this for a long time and I think all drivers that climb into a racing car are aware of the risks and accept them. I don't think things should change on that front. It's always been that way. We'll see what happens but I like it how it is now."

Red Bull had trialled its own cockipt protection device - dubbed the Aeroscreen - during the Russian Grand Prix but it has now been shelved as an alternative as the FIA puts resource and time into testing and development the more favoured Halo. 

Zdroj: crash.net