F, F1. Period.
How long before the teams start selling advertising space on these halos? "Every cloud has a silver lining"
Who the hell would want their company name/logo on a universally despised part of the car that just so happens to look like a giant carbon fibre thong? Even if your company made underwear you wouldn't want that association.
McLaren have been out doing some research in Brazil for a suitable sized Halo 'Thong' for their 2018 chassis.Rumour has it that Alonso may be tempted to stay if he gets to choose which one will suit him best.He is said to be losing interest on the power unit choice for next year. Miss BumBum 2016 contestants bring traffic to a standstill in thong bikinis in Brazil | Daily Mail Online
Everything is relative, and in this case we are referring to F1, where safety measures are gigantic in comparison to MotoGP. Maybe I should have written: "Protection? Extremely close to zero!" You wouldn't have bothered probably.... what's the sense? The protection on a MotoGP bike nowadays is minimal, you know that very well. It maybe a few percentages better than 10 years ago, in reality it means nothing... I have a Ducati 1199 Panigale S, you know how powerful and fast that bike is. I never fell, but I've seen friends go down. From the moment that happens, you're in the hands of God, call it faith, if you want. Eventually I don't know much about MotoGP, but I'd say you are quite naive, if you believe that a kangourou skin is gonna protect you. (Watch the multiple fatal crashes on Youtube, if you really want to be convinced.) To say that there is protection on MotoGP bike is as true as to claim that a kid on a kid's bicycle is protected when he or she is wearing a T-Shirt. Back to the halo, let's hope that FIA makes a U-turn, and listens for once to the racing drivers. They gotta drive the cars.
JULY 21, 2017 Mercedes, Red Bull slam Halo decision Mercedes and Red Bull bosses have hit out at the FIA's decision to impose the controversial 'Halo' frontal protection concept for 2018. Many fans are outraged with this week's news that the era of fully open cockpits is set to end, with 78 per cent of Auto Motor und Sport readers opposed to Halo. It is believed that, of the ten teams, only Ferrari voted to introduce Halo. F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda said of Halo: "It is absolutely a mistake. "There is no doubt that safety must improve where possible, but we tried the Halo, the Aeroscreen of Red Bull and now Ferrari tried the Shield. None of them were 100 per cent convincing, but Halo is just wrong," said the triple world champion. Lauda said one problem is driver visibility, but explained: "The aesthetics are fatal. The Halo destroys the DNA of a formula one car. "The FIA has got F1 as safe as it gets, and the danger of flying wheels is largely nonexistent because they are always attached. Thankfully, the risk for drivers has become minimal," he added. Lauda also said the Halo is arriving at an awkward time, just as F1's new owner Liberty Media is determined to improve the sport. "We have these faster cars, we're getting closer to the audience and trying to attract new fans, and now we destroy it with this overreaction," he said. "There is 100 per cent a better solution than the Halo, otherwise we would not have tried three things. So the most sensible would be to continue our research and if we find something that does not destroy the appearance, introduce it in 2019. "It's that simple. There is no reason to rush into something that we regret later," added Lauda. Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko told Bild newspaper: "This decision is against the DNA of formula one. "Technically, it is also not mature. If an injured driver has to be rescued or a car is on fire, there are still no clear guidelines as to whether the cockpit becomes even more dangerous." And Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said: "I am sceptical about the Halo, but I understand Jean Todt's decision on safety grounds."
What would happen if all the teams,except Ferrari, made a stance and refused to race with it ? What happens then?
That's exactly what I was thinking. This is simply a matter of FIA (Todt) trying to make itself "relevant."
Lauda says FERRARI is the only team that wanted it. Mr Sweater at work again? Lauda: Halo has 'destroyed' F1 for fans | PlanetF1 : PlanetF1
What can they do about it other than call in divisions of lawyers? The teams need to have more say in both the technical and the sporting regulations. I still maintain that this is Todt flexing his tiny muscle....
The teams have been had. They never took the issue seriously. They were proposed the halo or the screen. Only 2 or 3 teams tested those, and came up with negative comments. Vettel was the last one, and he condemned the screen as "distorting". Without consensus among the teams, the FIA is the final referee and can impose new rules.
I don 't think that the teams can ignore them. If the cars are declared illegal by the FIA, because they don't conform to new safety rules, they won't be allowed to race. I don't think Liberty would like a strike, a boycott, or a confrontation under its watch, when it's trying to develop the business. Watch this space ...
It's more complicated than eg. 05 US Grand Prix because they can't just install or take off halo. It affects the chassis and aero design. Even starting now it will be tight for the mid-field teams to integrate it into their 2018 cars. Whatever they decide, it has to be now. Unfortunately Toto sounds like he's going all with it even if he doesn't agree, and no one other team has enough influence to band them all up in defiance of FIA+Ferrari.
What leverage would the FIA have against the teams, the promoters and Liberty if it came to that? Would Todt lie prostrate on the start line?
At lot of leverage in fact. The FIA holds most of the cards: track license, promoters licenses, team licenses, drivers licenses, etc... A race couldn't take place without the FIA seal of approval. Well, in theory it could, but all the participants would be suspended and have their licenses revoked. Remember the USGP at Indy? The FIA refused to allow a chicane, and no chicane was built, in spite of most of the team asking for it because of tyres issues.
