Lewis Hamilton insisted yesterday that he would not use the “halo” safety device being trialled this week in Barcelona, even if it becomes mandatory.
Having initially described the new protective structure as the “worst modification in Formula One history”, Britain’s world champion went further with an outburst that could put him on a collision course with the sport’s governing body.
“If it is going to come in I hope we have an option to use it or not because I will not be using it on my car,” Hamilton said.
“I hope that’s not what they’re bringing, I really do. Ultimately it’s the driver’s protection so we should have a choice individually. I like it the way it is now and when I get in the car I know there is a certain risk.
“Safety is a very, very important issue for sure, but there are risks that we take and you have to decide how much of a risk you are going to take. For me, I would rather drive without it and risk it.”
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The “halo”, which was pioneered by Hamilton’s Mercedes team, has been used for the first time this week by Ferrari at the final testing period in Spain before the season gets under way in Melbourne on March 17.
The FIA announced last week that it intends to improve cockpit protection for the 2017 campaign, with the “halo” its preferred option.
The governing body has explored a number of designs aimed at protecting drivers from flying debris after Felipe Massa was struck by a spring from Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn car during qualifying for the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Henry Surtees, son of the 1964 world champion, John Surtees, was killed in the summer of that year after he was hit on the helmet by a tyre while competing in a Formula Two race at Brands Hatch.
Justin Wilson, the British IndyCar racer, died last August after he was struck on the helmet by a piece of flying debris during a race. Jules Bianchi, the French F1 driver, also died last year from head injuries suffered at the Japanese Grand Prix nine months earlier.
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However, some of Hamilton’s fellow drivers are heavily in favour of the new protection.
Sebastian Vettel, who followed Kimi Raikkonen, his Ferrari team-mate, in testing the concept yesterday, believes that it would have saved the lives of both Surtees and Wilson.
“In principle I agree it doesn’t look very nice, but equally it helps increase the safety, it helps saving lives,” Vettel, the four-times champion, said.
“There would be at least two drivers in the last four years that I remember that would still be around — Henry Surtees and Justin Wilson — if we had this type of system. I think it can be very ugly, but nothing justifies not having these two guys around.”