The ongoing process to make Formula 1 safer is something few would disagree with, but for many the introduction of the Halo is a step too far, claiming that it goes against the spirit of F1. The fact that it’s hideously ugly doesn’t help either.
But whilst I’m sure we’ll all get used to it before too long, it begs the question of how far the sport is willing to go in the name of safety, and will it compromise its ideals in order to get there?
In this interview, Niki Lauda – a man who knows a thing or two about how safety in F1 used to be – thinks that there will come a point where F1 will have to decide that it’s safe enough, because if it goes too far it will, ironically, end up killing itself.
It’s an interesting point, but can F1 even become ‘too safe’? A lot of the obviously dangerous things that still exist today – open cockpits, street circuits, high speeds – are highly unlikely to ever stop being a part of the sport.
Does that mean F1 has already become too safe? Even if you ignore the Halo, does the comparative lack of danger these days lessen the appeal from what it was a couple of decades ago, or compared to other motorsports?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments!