By: Farah Saleh
Hello Besties,
How is your weekend going without Formula 1. I assume it’s boring which is understandable given that some of us, including myself, have taken formula 1 as a life style. However, the next weekend is near.
Last week we watched the Japanese grand prix where Max Verstappen retrieved his position as a winner after Australia with his teammate Checo Perez in P2 and Carlos Sainz, the smooth operator, in p3.
Speaking of the Japanese GP, did you know that Charles Leclerc led the race in Lap 17? Surely you are asking yourself, why is it important?
It is important because number 17 was the car number of Jules Bianchi, Charles’ godfather, who died on the 17th of July in 2015 after he crashed during the Japanese GP in 2014 while he was in P17. It is a coincidence sure thing, but a painful one.
Now, I’m sure you know what time is it. Yup, it’s time for our weekly lesson. And since we talked about Jules Bianchi, let’s talk about how his death changed formula 1.
After Jules Bianchi’s crash, a safety device called the “Halo” was introduced. It is a three-pronged tubular made of titanium that surrounds the car's cockpit. The Halo is designed to hold 15 times the static load of an F1 car. It is created to act as a shield to protect the drivers during serious crashes.
At that time, three options were presented.
1- The Halo.
2- The Shield, which is a windscreen made of a special type of plastic.
3- The Aeroscreen, which a mix between the halo and the shield.
However, the halo was chosen and it was presented in formula 1 cars for the first time in 2018 season and let me tell you another crazy coincidence.
In 2018, the halo saved Charles Leclerc in his rookie season when Fernando Alonso’s car came over the cockpit of Leclerc’s Car in Spa, Belgium. It also saved many drivers such as Roman Grosjean in Bahrain 2020, Lewis Hamilton in Monza 2021 and Zhou Guanyu in Silverstone 2022.
Now after learning about the halo, wait for me next week so you can learn about something new in formula 1.
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