F1 testing: Daniel Ricciardo tested start visibility with halo
Daniel Ricciardo used practice starts at the end of the first day of Formula 1 testing to test the visibility of the lights with the halo device
The mandatory use of the device in F1 this year has caused an outcry from fans who are unhappy with the way it looks, although drivers who have tried it say it does not make much difference once they are driving.
One query has been whether a driver's vision of the start lights would be restricted because of the top of the halo.
"It might sound silly, but I don't notice it," Ricciardo said about the halo. "Getting in the car and getting out obviously you do [notice it], but on track it seemed fine.
"I followed a couple of cars today and it seemed alright.
"We did the starts, we thought to see the start lights could be difficult, but so far it seems fine.
"I know it's not that pretty, but other than that it's fine."
Fernando Alonso agreed that the halo looked much more intrusive outside the car than it did from inside the cockpit.
"When I see the pictures I see the halo in the middle of the vision, but when driving for whatever reason you are focused on the long distance, you are not that focused on the middle part of the chassis," said the McLaren driver.
"In the corners obviously you are watching left and right of the centre pylon so it's absolutely no problem."
One consequence of the halo that emerged on Monday was the way it diverted rain drops away from drivers' helmets, so they could no longer tell when weather conditions had changed.
Carlos Sainz reckoned that could provide some interesting situations at grands prix, with drivers having to be much more sensitive as to when the track was getting slippery if rain was coming.
"Today when it started to rain a bit, but you could not see it on the visor," he explained. "The halo was not allowing the raindrops to go on the visor. So you were not really seeing if it was raining or not.
"You were just feeling it with your hands and your arse.
"[It's] this kind of rain that sometimes really bothers us drivers, because you don't know if you can actually push 100% or not, you just have to guess it with the pitwall and see how much rain there was.
"From us, our visor was completely dry and outside it was raining. It was a bit tricky there."
F1 testing 2018: Alonso says six teams had 'big trouble' on day one
F1 testing: Honda reliability 'perfect' on Toro Rosso debut - Hartley
WTCR Saudi Arabia: Berthon goes from hero to zero as series comes to a close
Nathanael Berthon won the first World Touring Car Cup race in Jeddah, only to crash out in the second, as Nestor Girolami clung on to the runner-up spot as the series drew to a close.
Energy X-Prix: Hamilton’s X44 team snatches Extreme E title as Abt wins finale
Lewis Hamilton’s X44 squad clinched the Extreme E title in a highly-eventful season finale, as Abt Cupra took a maiden win in the Energy X-Prix in Uruguay.
Brown: F1 won't suffer from "complete mess" triggered by FTX crypto collapse
Formula 1 will weather the storm caused by the "complete mess" of the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the contagion it triggered, says McLaren boss Zak Brown.
BTCC greats rate a reimagined Super Saloons tussle
Steve Soper and Robb Gravett are two British Touring Car Championship legends who aren’t shy in reliving memories of glory days in creative ways. That’s how the new set from Scalextric – Super Saloons made for a perfect fantasy mini battle
How Red Bull's dynamic leader shaped its F1 philosophy
The death of Dietrich Mateschitz last month has not only deprived Red Bull of its visionary founder, it has shorn Formula 1 of one of its most influential benefactors. Mateschitz himself was famously media-shy, preferring to let the brand do the talking on his behalf. And, while it’s now normal to speak of Red Bull F1 titles and champions made, Mateschitz never assumed it would be easy or even possible – as ANTHONY ROWLINSON discovered during this previously unpublished interview from 2006…
Can Mercedes break Formula 1's cycle of doom?
OPINION: Teams that have dominated for long periods throughout Formula 1's history often take years to get back to the top of the tree once they've slipped down. But it remains to be seen whether the same will happen to Mercedes after a challenging 2022 season
What hurt Perez most in his ill-fated fight for second in Abu Dhabi
Arguably the favourite in the battle to finish second best in 2022's Formula 1 standings, Sergio Perez's two-stop strategy at Abu Dhabi couldn't take him ahead of Charles Leclerc when the music stopped - and several key factors ultimately precluded him from the much-coveted runner-up spot
The Abu Dhabi momentum that can propel Leclerc and Ferrari to F1 2023 success
OPINION: Charles Leclerc achieved his target of sealing runner-up in the 2022 world championship with a masterful drive behind Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi. And that race contained key elements that may help him, and Ferrari, go one better in Formula 1 2023
How Verstappen's record-breaking 2022 season compares to the F1 greats
The 2022 Formula 1 season will be remembered as a record book rewriting Max Verstappen masterclass, a completely different challenge to his maiden world championship last year, and a clear sign he is still raising his own level. But where does it stack up against the all-time great F1 campaigns?
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Driver Ratings
The 2022 Formula 1 season came to a close at the Yas Marina Circuit, where the battle for second in the standings was decided, the wins in a season record extended and a retiring four-time world champion bowed out on a high. Here's how we rated the drivers
The factors that stopped Perez catching Leclerc in Verstappen's Abu Dhabi triumph
Max Verstappen ended the 2022 Formula 1 season in fitting fashion with a dominant drive to victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But behind him, early season rival Charles Leclerc achieved his target of securing the runner-up spot with a well-executed a one-stop strategy to beat Sergio Perez, whose pursuit on a two-stop strategy was hampered by several critical factors
Why the impact of FIA’s anti-bouncing metric is hard to judge
Faced with drivers complaining about the long-term health effects of car ‘bouncing’, the FIA stepped in to deal with it. JAKE BOXALL-LEGGE explains how the so-called ‘Aerodynamic Oscillation Metric’ works, and asks if it is fit for purpose?