The halo once again prevented a tragedy this weekend in F2
This weekend in F2 was marked by Oliver Bearman's mastery, as he completed a clean sweep and won both races in Azerbaijan. The halo, introduced in 2018, once again prevented any tragedy from occurring in Baku.
Introduced at the beginning of the 2018 Formula 1 season, the halo did not gain unanimous support, quite the contrary. It was criticized for a long time by the F1 community. Implemented after the tragic death of Jules Bianchi in 2015, the halo has proven its worth on several occasions and shows that it is absolutely essential for the safety of the drivers.
And this weekend in F2, he once again demonstrated the extent of his importance. The first part of the F2 race was cut short by Richard Verschoor’s accident, Maloney’s puncture, and especially Roy Nissany’s off-track excursion that ended his race against the wall. The latter’s accident caused the deployment of the safety car. At the restart, Dennis Hauger leads ahead of Martins, closely followed by the two Prema drivers. Unfortunately for the two leading drivers, they both go a little too wide and ultimately end up in the wall. But the accident doesn’t stop there! There is also significant damage behind, Théo Pourchaire, Arthur Leclerc, and Jack Doohan won’t see the end of this sprint race. And the one who avoided the drama is indeed Jehan Daruvala. 5th at the restart, he is completely powerless and cannot avoid the Alpine-colored car of Victor Martins. This accident causes the lifting of the number 6 single-seater, which goes over Jehan Daruvala’s head.
Cette fin de course #F2 😳💥
Les Français Martins et Pourchaire contraints à l’abandon à 3 tours de l’arrivée ❌#AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/iNCrAozO0K
— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) April 29, 2023
A narrowly avoided tragedy, which once again demonstrates the indispensability of the halo in Formula 1, despite the fact that, at the time, some drivers publicly criticized the alloy and carbon component. But 5 years after its introduction, the halo has garnered unanimous support, even from those who were initially opposed to its implementation.
« A few years ago, I wasn’t in favor of the halo, but it’s the best thing we have introduced in F1 », emphasized Grosjean. « Without it, I wouldn’t be able to speak to you today, » Romain Grosjean declared after his accident in Bahrain.
The halo can withstand a load of 12 tonnes and therefore protects the pilots’ necks while the helmet protects the skull from any impact or debris sent by another car in the event of an accident.
