Lewis Hamilton may have topped practice session 2 at the opening day of the Russian Grand Prix but the 3 times F1 world champion found plenty of time and words to sum up F1’s latest cockpit safety device. Ferrari tested the so called halo system during pre-season testing and today Red Bull tested their proposed solution, an aerodynamic shield. Both devices are designed to protect the drivers head. However there have been mixed reactions most notable of all from Lewis Hamilton. “That screen looks so bad. It looks like a bloody riot shield..” said Hamilton of the aero shield.” “Don’t half-arse it. Go one way or the other. If they’re going to do this, close the cockpit like a fighter jet,” vented Hamilton. “And the other one [halo], the carbon fibre structure was obviously good but Fernando wouldn’t have been able to get out of the car potentially in his crash in Melbourne.” While these protective measures are being assessed they are not expected to appear until the 2017 season. But there is resistance with Hamilton seemingly leading the backlash. The need for introducing such devices was accelerated after the death of British IndyCar driver, Justin Wilson, who was killed by debris during an IndyCar race in 2015. Though open cockpit racing is safer now than it has ever been the need to make racing safer is never ending. But Hamilton sees it differently. “When I get in that car, I know that there is a danger. That’s been the same since I started when I was eight years old. That’s a risk that I am willing to take.” Hamilton believes that Formula should remain an open cockpit motor racing category and that a quantifiable risk is part of the sports enduring appeal.