Championship leader, Sebastian Vettel has said he was keeping an open mind on the shield before testing it in FP1 at this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
The German’s Ferrari was fitted with the open topped, polycarbonate windshield for only one installation lap before it being removed in FP1 but was keeping an open mind earlier on in the day.
The FIA has remained adamant that either the shield or the halo concept will be introduced in 2018, with head protection being a key focus for safety as of late. This is mainly because of the nature of the two biggest accidents in recent years in F1 with Felipe Massa’s accident in 2009 and Jules Bianchi’s fatal crash in 2014 both being caused by head trauma
.Any form of head protection has remained controversial, with it not being sure what the effects on visibility will be for example. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has advocated for patience in testing these devices, saying "We have to ensure we do not violate our duty of care by not doing our homework thoroughly, there are still quite a few points to clarify as I'm not sure it has been tested as extensively as the Halo or the Aeroscreen. I would prefer we went for an introduction in 2019"
Vette however remained open minded, saying before testing the shield device: "I don't know how many laps I'll have it for, but let's see what sensations I will have”
Sam Gale
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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