The question that led to Halo’s introduction - “and so I imposed it”

Jean Todt, the former FIA president, has revealed the key question which led to him introducing the design and making it a mandatory requirement of every F1 car.

“People didn't want it, the Halo,” Todt told Gazzetta dello Sport. 

“I asked the engineers: ‘Does this save the lives of drivers?’ 

“Yes, they answered me. 

“And so I imposed it. The only thing we can say is that we have lost some time on it."

Hamilton credited the Halo with saving his life at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix (pictured above). “It saved my neck,” he said after a crash with Max Verstappen.

More recently at Silverstone, Zhou emerged unscathed after a horrifying crash.

And Romain Grosjean notoriously escaped a fireball in Bahrain (pictured at the top).

Todt said about the Halo: "It's part of the evolution of racing, but also of road cars. Once people went to races like they went to bullfighting: they wanted to see a driver, a man, injured. 

“The runners had helmets that today not even a cyclist would carry. Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda fought for safety. 

“When I was elected president of the FIA I immediately put safety as the first point, not only for racing, but also at street level. It's not always easy, because people are reluctant to change. 

“The episodes that made me think of the Halo were the one that involved Felipe Massa in Budapest and the one in which John Surtees' son lost his life.”

The Halo was initially criticised for its lack of aesthetic appeal, and for deviating from the true essence of racing, but has since been lauded with near-universal acclaim.