FIA to ramp up testing in cockpit safety push

Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, is set to carry out further tests in an effort to improve cockpit safety following Justin Wilson’s fatal IndyCar crash.

The Briton died from the severe head injury he sustained at Pocono last weekend when he was hit with debris from another car. The accident came one month after former Marussia F1 racer Jules Bianchi succumbed to the brain injuries he had suffered at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.

The FIA has been trying to find new solutions and working on closed cockpits since at least 2009 when Felipe Massa was struck by a spring flying off Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn in Hungary.

The sport’s governing body reveals that research on “fighter plane-style cockpit canopies” has not yielded satisfactory results, the main hazards being that these would randomly deflect flying debris, while also limiting access to the driver.

The FIA remains however keen to explore fresh avenues, including the possibility of fitting an oval-shaped ‘halo’ supported by a vertical strut around the driver’s head. Such idea has recently been brought forward by Mercedes.

“It could stop certain types of debris from reaching the driver, whilst the hinged locking mechanism means it can quickly be removed for easy access,” reports the official Formula One website.

“The proximity of the single, central strut to the driver is such that it should have minimal effect on visibility.”

However, the concept has already been met with skepticism, as highlighted by former Virgin F1 driver and current works Audi LMP1 racer Luca di Grassi's following tweet.

Click here for a lighter look at the Belgian Grand Prix, courtesy of F1i special contributor Eric Silbermann.

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