Wurz hopes F1 doesn't come to “regret” Halo delay

Wurz and the GPDA have taken a keen interest in the development of the Halo, and was wholly in favour of the device being introduced next year to help minimise F1’s dangers.

But following a vote of F1’s Strategy Group in Geneva on Thursday, teams and F1 chiefs decided to postpone the introduction of any extra cockpit head protection until 2018.

That move has left Wurz deeply disappointed – and he thinks it has put the sport in to ‘uncharted territory’ where it will be left hoping that there is not a big accident next year where the Halo could have helped.

“My personal view is that today's Strategy Group outcome, if ratified by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, represents much more than just a vote against the Halo, or a delay in the introduction of additional head protection,” Wurz told Motorsport.com.

“This decision brings F1 in to uncharted territory in many ways. Let’s wait for the reasoning behind this decision, but for now this decision could almost be seen as ‘business first and safety second.’”

Safety benefits

He added: “The Halo is not aesthetically pretty, but scientific experiments performed by experts proved that it has the capability of saving drivers’ lives.

“In the recent presentations of the FIA safety experts, I understood the system was presented as ready to use. I also understood that cars are already being designed for the Halo concept.

“Moreover it could, and would of course, be improved, on an ongoing basis, and those improvements would include aesthetic considerations – including the use of better and more advanced technologies and materials for an even more efficient concept.

“I believe the Halo would have been a safe start! So, bearing all those factors in mind, it is rather surprising for F1, whose driver safety credentials are uncontested, to not adopt the Halo concept for 2017.

“Like all of us, obviously, I dearly hope that today's decision is not one that one day we will all come to bitterly regret.”

Risk element remains

While there have been suggestions that introducing the Halo would take away from the danger element of F1, Wurz is not in agreement.

He thinks there are other aspects of the sport that can be improved to keep fans interested – and safer cars means speeds can be allowed to go up.

“The Halo or any future car-related safety development is not taking any courage away from drivers,” he said. “It still requires the world's best skills to beat the world's best drivers.

“If we have safer cars, it's not only good for the sustainability of the sport, it could also mean we can let the drivers race faster and be more aggressive in a way.”