Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Red Bull F1 team trials mock-up of its cockpit safety system

Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat both believe Red Bull's Formula 1 cockpit protection system to be a better design than the halo after recently trialling a mock-up

During the Australian Grand Prix weekend Red Bull released images of its system, which it plans to run for the first time at a demonstration event towards the end of April.

Ricciardo and Kvyat have now confirmed sitting in a demo car complete with a model of the device at the team's factory in Milton Keynes, with both offering positive opinions.

"From a visibility point of view, sitting there, it was honestly fine, so it seemed like a pretty good first try for us," said Ricciardo when asked about the system by Autosport.

"As for the bars to the side, they've basically done them so they are in line with the mirrors.

"The mirrors now, where they are, they block a certain part of our vision, but these bars are in line so they didn't impede anything, which was good."

Urged to offer a neutral opinion on both the Red Bull design and the halo used by Ferrari in pre-season testing, Ricciardo said: "In terms of function, I believe the Red Bull one is good.

"I've obviously not driven with the Ferrari one, but the Red Bull one seemed to cover a few more bases."

Ricciardo also feels extraction from the car would not be a concern should it be involved in an incident like the one in Australia with Fernando Alonso.

"Getting out was OK actually," said Ricciardo.

"In the scenario with Fernando [with his shattered McLaren on its side and leaning against a barrier after it had come to rest] maybe there still could have been room to slip out with the one I tried."

Team-mate Kvyat's immediate verdict when asked for his response was that "it's better than halo".

Kvyat, however, recognises there is a potential flaw that would require testing as he added: "The only question mark we have around it is the glass.

"It wouldn't be comfortable if it starts to get dirty, or some car in front of you loses oil or some stuff like that. Then it could become a bit messy.

"But it's a good direction. Let's see what the fans think of it first of all, which is quite important."

Like Ricciardo, Kvyat also dismissed concerns over the struts affecting side visibility.

"For me, there are more question marks over the visibility with the halo than the Red Bull Racing solution," he said.

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Bahrain Grand Prix Thursday FIA press conference
Next article Carlos Sainz Jr says there is nothing to clarify with Max Verstappen

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe