Page 70 - Bespoke Issue

A lot of Formula1 fans have had their say about the halo, and were more in favour of the aero screen; some saying it blends in with the overall design, and stops going the whole way to a totally enclosed cockpit scenario. Other criticisms of the now adopted for 2018 season halo are of the vision as it is solid for some obvious reasons, it does become intrusive to the view of the on board camera an ultimately the drivers overall vision.
One high pro le detractor of the Halo is Niki Lauda. Lauda is vociferous in his view, “Drivers are meant to be hero’s.” These halos are not what is needed, how many deaths or serious injuries in the last twenty years would they have stopped?
Back when racing was at its most dangerous, during the 50s and 60s as the cars got faster and faster, some cars had small wrap around windscreens, not as obtrusive as the halo and a lot more aesthetically pleasing as part of the overall look of the racing car as a whole. This is why I would go along with the aero screen argument, as it would be transparent and worked into the overall design and aerodynamics of the car. It is in the overall pursuit of safety but will we end up with totally enclosed
cockpits? if so I think this would damage the overall essence of the sport as the pinnacle of driver and machine and single seater racing.
Niki was also quite scathing when asked about the ‘white line penalties’ nonsense. Where a driver touches the white line when overtaking, usually the car overtaken is straight on the radio to complain about being taken while the other guy was on the white line. Rather than defending his position and trying to regain the place back by re-overtaking, he would rather call foul and try and get the overtaker a penalty! As they should be racing and overtaking and using as much of the track to do so, rather than giving lesser drivers an excuse to question the maneuver. Lauda says “Let them race! and if Charlie (Whiting) doesn’t like it build curbs instead of the white lines if he doesn’t want that space used”.
Other developments, we have hopefully the four engine manufacturers on the same page regarding future engine regulations, mainly to continue with the current hybrid with ERS-h. Unfortunately the supposedly new manufacturers, supported the inclusion of at least one new independent engine manufacturer. So in reality this means they disagree
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