Four drivers to trial Halo device at Spa

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Force India's Nico Hulkenberg will be one of four drivers to try out the new Halo cockpit protection device this weekend at the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix.

Daniel Ricciardo and Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz will also join Hulkenberg and Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg in running the device at Spa-Francorchamps for an installation lap on Friday.

The Formula One Strategy Group has put back the formal introduction of the Halo by one year until 2018 to allow all drivers to test the device during Formula One race weekends and provide feedback about its development.

Testing at Spa is seen as particularly important because high speed corners like Eau Rouge and the circuit's undulating nature could help expose any lingering visibility problems with the Halo.

Hulkenberg added that he was looking forward to getting back to work this weekend after Formula One's mandatory summer shutdown.

“It’s nice to get back to action after a month without racing. Holidays are fun – you spend time with your friends, take your mind off work and recharge your batteries – but nothing beats the thrill of a Formula One car. So it’s great to be back, and I can’t think of a better place to return to racing than Belgium

"When I was little, I would go and watch the race in Spa rather than in Germany as it was much closer to where I lived. My dad took me there twice and I remember looking at the drivers and wishing to be in one of those cars.

"Spa is one of the best tracks out there. It may sound like a cliché, but it really is great fun to drive it - it’s up there with Suzuka. It’s got great flow, lots of challenging and ballsy corners, high speeds and changes of elevation. It’s just a great place.

"Everyone talks about Eau Rouge, but my favourite corner in Spa is Pouhon – the very quick downhill double-left hander. Eau Rouge and Raidillon are legendary, but they’re not the challenge they used to be.

"For all the excitement on track, Belgium is one of the quietest weekends off it. There’s not much around the circuit and most of the evenings you just stay in the hotel and have a quiet dinner with your physio or a few friends. It’s the opposite of some of the 'lifestyle' events like Barcelona, Budapest or Montreal – but it’s a nice change."

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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.