'Halo' could lead to autonomous F1 - Horner

As the halo is imposed on F1, Red Bull's Christian Horner suggests a quest for absolute safety by the FIA could ultimately lead to an autonomous F1.

The FIA has made mandatory for 2018 the presence of the 'halo' cockpit safety device, a controversial decision which has spurred a lively debate in F1 and among the sport's fans.

Horner, who contends that legal issues forced the sport's governing body to introduce the 'halo', admits he isn't an advocate of the device, although Red Bull offered its own version of a cockpit protection element when it trialed its 'aeroscreen' last year.

The FIA will eventually seek to impose the 'halo' in all categories of single-seater racing, and the Red Bull boss therefore wonders where it will all stop and what could be the consequences of an extreme sanitization of the sport?

• Stewart sees 'halo' as necessary pre-emptive measure

"If you look at MotoGP, they don't have a roll-bar or stabilisers and there comes a point... the worrying thing is if you keep going down this avenue, its safer to take the driver out," logically remarks Horner.

"And then why do you need the driver? The car can be autonomous.

"But that's not what the concept of the sport is, there has to be an element of driver and the driver is accepting risk whenever they get out of the car.

"Now, what level is acceptable is something the FIA have the responsibility as the governing body to decide."

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