It is latest in news that Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg says he is “baffled” with the choice to delay the presentation of additional cockpit head insurance until 2018.
Formula 1’s bosses settled on Thursday not to present the security until 2018 in light of the fact that they felt the “halo” gadget tried so far required more work.
The choice to put off the presentation of the halo got some team insiders off guard all had been given the impression so far this year by the FIA, motorsport’s reality governing body, that it was working towards presenting the gadget in 2017.
F1 race executive Charlie Whiting said the primary explanation behind the postponement was to give more opportunity for drivers to survey its effect.
Rosberg said: “It is all ready to go. It just needs to be put on the car.
“For sure we all want it to be put on the car as soon as possible. I am disappointed and we’ll look into that.”
Renault’s Jolyon Palmer said: “F1 safety is very good at the moment. We have very big run offs, I am pretty happy with the safety levels we have at the moment.
“It is personal preference, I know a lot of the drivers, especially the younger ones, are in the same camp as me.”
But Rosberg said: “The large majority of drivers agree we need to get it on the car as soon as possible. It makes sense.
“It is such a huge step for safety.” Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, a director of the GPDA, said: “I haven’t read exactly what the reasoning was. It still remains positive that from 2018 onwards it is going to be on the car.” Wurz further added and said, “could almost be seen as ‘business first and safety second'”
Whiting said: “The decision was taken that simply because only three drivers have ever tried it, and they have only done a total of four laps.
“This was something that everyone felt was quite a relevant thing and it wouldn’t really be feasible to expect, in the short term, to get the relevant number of laps with the halo. That was the reason for introducing if for 2018 instead of 2017.”
