'F1 needs to look sexy' - Magnussen

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Kevin Magnussen says "Formula 1 needs to look sexy" as he hopes the Halo cockpit protection device will be refined before its introduction in 2017.

During the Monaco Grand Prix weekend the FIA confirmed it is pushing ahead with plans to introduce the Halo next season, with further tests taking place later in June. The testing will involve an updated version of the Halo, which is expected to be less bulky compared to the iteration run by Ferrari during pre-season testing.

With Red Bull's Aeroscreen concept not felt to be developed enough for introduction next year - but still on the table for 2018 - Magnussen is hoping the final device will still look good on an F1 car.

"It’s difficult to say before I’ve run it, I would say the Aeroscreen looks better from how I think it looks," Magnussen said. "I think it looks better than the Halo, but to be honest, luckily it’s not up to me to make these decisions.

When it was put to him the Halo should look more refined, Magnussen replied: "I hope so.

"Formula 1 needs to look sexy, but we can’t not do what needs to be done for safety. It’s a difficult one, I don’t really want it but I also don’t want to die or anyone else to die and you can’t not do it if it helps safety. It’s just a pity that that’s how it is."

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.