Newey still at odds with 'clumsy and ugly' Halo

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Formula 1 design guru Adrian Newey believes more research should have been conducted on cockpit safety before the introduction of the Halo.

The Red Bull Racing designer, who penned a huge amount of successful cars for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, is all in favour of anything that can improve safety.

But the aesthetics of the Halo, which will have mandatory presence in F1 from 2018, just make him cringe.

"I have to admit I do have mixed feelings on the Halo," Newey told Sky Sports F1 during a Facebook live session on Tuesday.

"On the one hand, I do feel that anything you can do to make a car safer is a good thing.

No way back on Halo, only a way forward - Todt

"When somebody gets' really seriously injured or dies that it is horrific. I attended Justin Wilson's funeral three years ago, and to see the grief on the family's faces was terrible.

"So if it helps to make the car safer, that has to be applauded.

"The engineer in me says that it just seems to be such a clumsy and ugly solution, it just feels as if we ought to be able to do something better than that."

Newey admitted however that he would struggle to come up with a viable alternative without additional research.

"I think there needs to be more research," he added.

"Probably a canopy would be visually more attractive, but then it's closed-cockpit racing.

"What is important is whatever Formula 1 does has to be affordable for the lower formulae, because the bottom line is why should a Formula Ford driver's life be valued less than an F1 drivers' life?

"We have to find a solution that can be carried across, but there's no escaping it's ugly. The aesthetic artist in me finds that offensive."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.