Verstappen and Hulkenberg still no fans of the halo

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The 'halo' passed its first full-scale real life test with flying colors last weekend at Spa, but Max Verstappen and Nico Hulkenberg still aren't fans of the cockpit safety device.

A first lap crash between Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc, rooted in Nico Hulkenberg's brain fade as the field barreled towards the La Source hairpin, saw the McLaren hit the Sauber's halo as it flew over the top.

The tyre marks on the safety component left no doubt that Leclerc was likely spared injury, or perhaps something much worse, thanks to the halo, an opinion shared by many after witnessing dramatic footage of the action.

Verstappen however still isn't convinced by the halo's presence.

"I'm still not a fan of it," he told Ziggo Sport, unsure Leclerc would have been injured without it.

"You never know. It's always difficult. If you see how low we are in these cars, I wonder how much it would have hit him or not. I don't think so.

"But of course it's better that no one was injured."

Big hit to Leclerc's halo convincingly validates its purpose

Beyond its safety merits, the halo's ungraceful aesthetics have yet to win over the 20-year-old Red Bull driver.

"It's a super ugly thing. Like a flip flop on your car," he insisted.

Perhaps more surprising however is Hulkenberg's relatively unchanged stance on the halo, having initiating last Sunday's chaos after a braking blunder.

"I have to see the facts and admit it does bring something to Formula 1 especially the safety that we appreciate in the car," said the Renault driver in Thursday's driver conference in Monza.

"Mixed feelings about it still. But it’s not down to me anyway. It is what it is.”

The German did acknowledge however the safety element's purpose.

"We can only speculate what would have happened without it but it looked pretty clear from the point the tyre marks were all over the Halo and from that point of view it’s done a very good job to keep the head safe."

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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.