Ecclestone Speaks Out Against Cockpit Protection Device

By James Broughton, May 4, 2016

Formula One is advancing plans to introduce cockpit protection, Ferrari and Red Bull have already tested the so called ‘halo’ and ‘aeroscreen’ respectively. While the general opinion is that some type of cockpit protection will be introduced in 2017 there has been vocal opposition albeit from a lone voice. Lewis Hamilton has derided both solutions and it seems he is the only one leading the charge against a cockpit protection device of any type. That is until now because another voice has joined the opposition in the form of F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

During a recent interview Ecclestone raised significant doubt whether a cockpit protection device would offer any meaningful protection. “I don’t like any of them!” said Ecclestone of the Ferrari’s and Red Bull’s designs. “I just think to try to simulate something when you’ve got a stationary object, and you’re firing a tyre at it, when in the race when the wheel has come off normally both cars would be moving. So how can you simulate it by having a car stationary? And how would you ever know what’s going to happen with a wheel anyway? If it hits the thing it would probably bounce off anyway. So I don’t know.” The sport’s governing body, the FIA, will select which design solution to go with by July, the word on the street is that the Ferrari Halo will be given the greenlight. In response to Hamilton’s opposition Ecclestone gave a classic quip “We can make it more dangerous if he wants.”