But Alex Wurz says he was "surprised" by Strategy Group's delay
Monday 1 August 2016 15:41, UK
F1 had no choice but to delay the introduction of the 'immature' Halo device, according to Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
The sport's Strategy Group announced on Thursday that a proposal by the sport's governing body, the FIA, to introduce the device for the 2017 season had been scrapped, although the group has agreed to bring in 'frontal cockpit protection' for 2018.
"The feeling with the halo is that there are some benefits but an awful lot of unanswered questions," Horner told Sky Sports F1. "We can't just bolt on something which we all have very little experience of."
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel claimed ahead of the meeting, held at the Geneva offices of FIA president Jean Todt, that '95 per cent' of the grid approved of the Halo's introduction and Alex Wurz, president of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, responded to Thursday's announcement by telling Sky Sports: "I am surprised by what is a U-turn against what the experts recommended."
Vettel is one of only two drivers currently on the grid who have trialled the device on track. It is understood that every driver will now run the unit on their car in a practice session before the end of the current campaign.
"To introduce immature system which could be introducing other issues which haven't been fully researched and only used by two drivers and a test driver on an installation laps, how on earth could we bring in that on every car next year?" said Horner.
"We have agreed for a system to come into place in 2018. It needs to be fully researched, fully developed and fully tested. At the moment, other than a few installation laps from a couple of drivers, there has been no mileage put on this. We are putting miles and miles on next year's tyres and the same has to go for a safety component in order to make sure we are not introducing a risk that wasn't there previously.
"The right thing is being done: the analysis and research and development is being ramped up over the next twelve months to ensure that when it is introduced it is introduced properly
"It is important we get this right. The logical and sensible thing is being done to get further testing and further development."
Meanwhile, Horner has welcomed the lifting of the sport's controversial and generally unpopular crackdown on team-to-driver radio messages.
"It ran away with itself and went too far. When it gets to a point where you are having to consult with the race director about whether you can deliver messages about the safety of the car, that's wrong. F1 is a team sport. We are depriving fans from hearing the interaction between the drivers and the team.
"We've got rid of the mute button that prevents fans from hearing what radio discussions are going on. Everything is now available - and that can only be a positive for F1."
But Horner still believes more should still be done - and heard.
"I'd like the communication between the team managers and the race director to be available so that if there is a complaint raised by a team about another driver or team it can be made available too."
