What is 'Halo' in F1 that saved Lewis Hamilton at Italian GP crash?

The word 'Halo' may sound unfamiliar to motorsports fans worldwide; however, the device used in the current Formula 1 cars saved one of the greatest race drivers from getting a serious injury. Defending Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton's F1 career could have suffered a major blow after the British driver's Mercedes F1 car met with an accident with the Red Bull car of Max Verstappen during the recently concluded Italian GP. Despite the serious crash, Hamilton survived the crash thanks to the Halo device. 

What is Halo device, and why is it important in F1 cars? 

While halo saved Hamilton's career from getting ruined during Italian GP, one must be wondering as to what is halo and why it is an important part of F1 cars. According to wionews, the halo protection device is a curved bar made of titanium and weighed around 7kgs, which is placed around the cockpit surrounding the driver's head to protect her/him from any life-threatening severe injury. The device is connected by three points to the vehicle frame. 

It was introduced in 2018 and was made mandatory on every vehicle in Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula Regional, Formula E, and Formula 4 as a new safety measure. It is important to note that the teams do not develop the system; it is manufactured by three approved external manufacturers chosen by the FIA. 

Lewis Hamilton crash video

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's crash impacted drivers standings as well, with Verstappen still holding onto five points lead over the defending Formula 1 champion. Hamilton and Verstappen's incident happened when the F1 Champion made his way out of the pit box after a slow pit stop; he came into a wheel-to-wheel battle with Verstappen just before Turn 2 at Monza.

As they approached the Rettifilo chicane, Verstappen was forced wide after finding no space from outside the line, making their real wheels collide and launching Verstappen’s car over the top of Hamilton’s. The two cars eventually stopped in the gravel trap with the Red Bull clipped over Lewis’ Mercedes. The safety car was deployed immediately after the incident as both the drivers climbed out of their cars.

Post the Italian GP crash, Lewis Hamilton took to Twitter and wrote a heartfelt note about the entire episode and how he felt after the incident. He wrote, "It's days like today, I am reminded of how lucky I am. It takes a millisecond to go from racing to a very scary situation. Today someone must have been looking down, watching over me! #TeamLH: I'm so thankful for each and everyone of you, you are truly the best. Still we rise!".

Image: AP/ F1/ Twitter