Ferrari debuts Halo cockpit protection in testing

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The Halo concept for cockpit protection appeared on an F1 car for the first time in public during pre-seaosn testing on Thursday.

Kimi Raikkonen completed his installation lap in the SF16-H with the Halo concept installed in order to test visibility for the drivers. The design features a central pillar in front of the driver's head, supporting further protection which is designed to deflect large debris.

Ferrari only ran the device - which was fixed to the top of the chassis rather completely incorporated as a final version would be - during its installation lap, with a team spokesman confirming it would not run again this week.

The FIA is hoping to implement a cockpit protection solution from 2017 onwards, with the Halo concept having emerged as its preferred option in recent months. A meeting of the F1 Commission last week allowed a delay on a final decision regarding the cockpit protection until the end of April.

While the Grand Prix Drivers' Association [GPDA] recently lobbied for the swift introduction of cockpit protection, not every driver is a fan of the proposal, with Nico Hulkenberg last week saying: "It’s just a personal thing.

"I don’t like it. For me, it (the F1 cockpit) should be open."

Motor Racing - Formula One Testing - Test Two - Day 3 - Barcelona, Spain

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