Caryss Green, '25 - Editor
Racing has always come with a lot of risks. With cars traveling at such high speeds around complex circuits, injury and even death have unfortunately been the results of many crashes. Thankfully, there are many safety features put in place in Formula 1 in order to prevent these outcomes. These features have been put in place to protect drivers, as well as spectators. They include safety cars, wheel tethers, barriers, and the Halo, discussed below.
Safety Cars:
In Formula 1, safety cars slow the cars down on the track in the case of a crash, debris on the track, or other safety hazards that may occur during a race. There are two kinds of safety cars: physical safety cars and virtual safety cars. The virtual safety car does a similar job to the normal safety car without deploying a vehicle onto the track.
The first ever safety car used in Formula 1 was during the Canadian Grand Prix in 1973. However, the virtual safety car was first used over 40 years later during the 2015 Monaco Grand Prix following a crash involving Max Verstappen. The idea for it was based on the ‘slow zone’ system used in the 24 hours of Le Mans. The need for such a feature was realized after Jules Bianchi’s fatal crash in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
Wheel Tethers:
Wheel tethers were introduced and mandated into Formula 1 in 1999. The goal of the tethers is to prevent the cars’ wheels from becoming separated from the car. This feature is necessary due to the high likelihood of a car losing a wheel during a high-speed crash. If a wheel flew off, it could lead to another driver crashing, serious injury, or death of a spectator, due to the high speeds of the cars. The wheel tethers are not completely fool-proof, as proven when a stray wheel flew off a car during a crash, and then struck and killed a marshall in the 2000 Italian Grand Prix.
The nylon fibers of the tethers connect to the chassis and the wheels. These are hidden in the suspension arms of the cars. Two tethers are required per wheel by the FIA to prevent other parts from flying off during the event of a crash.The wheel tethers are an important part of keeping the fans and drivers safe during the Grand Prix weekends.
The Barriers:
The barriers surrounding Formula 1 circuits are designed to absorb maximum energy from cars during crashes. Originally, hay bales were used, until they were banned in 1967. Then, in 2000, the FIA introduced tire barriers. Tires were stacked up around the edges of the tracks to decrease the force of the impact of the cars when they crashed. However, these barriers were not always able to fully stop the cars, as shown in 1999 at Silverstone, where Micheal Schumacher’s car broke through the tire barrier and into the metal Armco barrier, resulting in him breaking his leg.
In 2006, TECPRO barriers were introduced. They were designed to absorb the same amount of energy as a tire barrier without falling apart or being unable to absorb the car's full impact. TECPRO barriers are composed of two types of polyethylene blocks. The absorbent blocks are hollow and are designed to collapse in on themselves to absorb the high-speed cars. The reinforced blocks, however, are solid. They are filled with a flexible polyurethane foam and two large steel sheets. They are connected by three nylon straps, which secure the blocks together and help to distribute the impact of a crash across all the barrier blocks.
The need for improved barriers was made apparent by Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna who each died after impacts with concrete barriers. Ultimately, the barriers are a crucial part of driver safety in Formula 1.
The Halo:
The Halo is a mandatory head-protection device used in open-wheel racing. The 7 kg metal frame can hold around 12 tons, the weight of a double-decker bus. It is made of grade 5 titanium, an aerospace-grade material, making it the strongest part of a Formula 1 car. Made to prevent large objects from entering the cockpit, it became a mandatory feature of all Formula 1 cars in 2018.
The Halo was one of a few ideas proposed by teams for additional driver protection. Mercedes first proposed the idea of the Halo, which the FIA implemented and began testing in 2016 and 2017. Other ideas were Red Bull’s transparent ‘aeroscreen’ and Ferrari’s ‘shield.’
Despite the Halo being intended to help the drivers in terms of safety, many of them were opposed to the idea of it. Verstappen stated that he believed, “There needs to be a certain element of risk.” Others, such as Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff, said that the Halo ruined the aesthetics of the cars. However, Hamilton repealed his statement with the FIA declaration that the Halo would improve the chances of surviving on-track incidents by 17%. Similarly, Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean criticized the Halo for adding more weight to the cars and reducing visibility.
Despite its harsh criticism, the Halo’s implementation has been credited with saving many lives, including those of the drivers who opposed it. For example, during the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, the Red Bull of Max Verstappen was launched over the engine cover of Hamilon’s Mercedes. The Red Bull slid across the top of the cockpit Halo, and after the race, Hamilton said, “Honestly, I feel very, very fortunate today… Thank God for the Halo. That ultimately saved me. And saved my neck.” After being a firm opposer of the Halo, it’s safe to say this crash changed his mind. Romain Grosjean also has the Halo to thank after the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix where he crashed his Haas into a metal guard rail on the side of the track. His car went through the metal and instantly burst into flames. The impact split the car and the barrier in half and left the survival cell hanging in the barrier. Thanks to the Halo, Grosjean escaped with only burns on his hands. Other notable incidents are those of Charles Leclerc at Spa in 2018 and Zhou Guanyu at Silverstone in 2022.
Whether or not the aesthetics of the car have been ‘ruined’ by the Halo, the proven added protection that it brings certainly outweighs looks in terms of importance.
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