“Please no, this is the worst mod in Formula One History “ Hamilton said when he saw the Halo being fitted to the Ferrari last week. The recently tested front roll bar protection has generated more than one comment among F.1 drivers and staff, lots of for and against.
I am totally with Lewis, Fernando and Nico [Hulkenberg] when they appealed against the introduction of such a device. Safety should never be in discussion, we know, but the new Halo bar goes against a direction that Formula One should take to regain popularity and faith.
In recent years we witnessed our sport losing pieces here and there due to debatable decisions which took away the most glamorous aspects of the Formula. The introduction of complicated sporting rules, the dominance of technical and difficult to understand changes to the engine’s supply, the loss of noise, the intricate relationship among F.1 Teams when due to make decisions and more recently the badly timed outburst of a concerned CEO on the quality and the future of the sport.
All negative stuff which, for sure, is not going to bring back the huge amount of viewership lost in recent years.
Drivers are the soul of this category, they are the protagonists, our guidance. Already too much has been taken away from their glittering appearances. Often compared to robots during tv interviews, they have become mute disciples of a lost religion.
Lauda, Hunt, Villeneuve or Irvine are just a memory and the “circus of the heroes” has now turned into a characterless procession of F.1 pros.
The only one Hamilton, now supported by the strength of his triple crown, to surface in making the claim. And Lewis speaks for the lost category of the fearless, condemning a device against his own safety interest.. well said, Champ!