Russell not the least bit bothered by his 'Halo'

For all the criticism directed towards the 'Halo' safety device, Mercedes junior Georges Russell says he was actually impressed by the cockpit element.

On the back of the FIA's recent announcement that the Halo will be written into the 2018 rules, a flurry of reproval from the majority of F1 drivers has put the device in a negative light.

But Russell, who ran the component's latest iteration in Wednesday's  test session in Budapest, had no problems with the device.

"I had a much better view than I expected," he said.

"When the sun was coming down at the end of the day, it blocked the sun from my eyes. So I actually saw more than I would usually see when the sun is low.

• FIA trialling further development on Halo before roll-out

"From a driver's perspective, the visibility is completely fine," he added.

"The only hindrance could potentially be seeing the start lights. Getting in and out of the car with the Halo takes a bit of experience. I struggled initially, but after a few trial runs I was fine."

The FIA has vowed to further develop the device and allow teams a fair amount of leeway for its adaption to the aerodynamic constraints of their cars.

Additional versions will likely be tested in upcoming Friday morning free practice sessions before a final design appears at the end of season Abu Dhabi GP.

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