Formula 2 set to introduce Halo in 2018

The ‘Halo’ cockpit protection device that will be used in Formula 1 next year is also set to feature on the new 2018 Formula 2 chassis, due to be unveiled on Thursday at Monza.

F1 chiefs announced in July that the Halo would grace all cars on the grid next year after extensive analysis and research in a bid to prevent injuries to drivers in the cockpit from external objects.

The news divided opinion throughout motorsport, but F1 will not be the only series racing with Halo next year.

RACER reports that the new F2 chassis which will replace the Dallara GP2/11 used in the category since 2011 will also feature the Halo, with the design that will be revealed later this week being an interim version.

FIA safety director Laurent Mekies confirmed that Halo was always planned to filter down the single-seater ladder, with the new car for 2018 hurrying up the decision to introduce it to F2.

“Halo is not something you can adapt on a current car, and as a result if you miss the slot on a new car then it is game over, or nearly so,” Mekies told RACER.

“For obvious reasons such as cost, the single-seaters that are not F1 are changed between every three or every six years, so you might miss a six-year window in an extreme situation.”