Beginner · 2 min read

What is the F1 halo and why is it compulsory?

2018. It was introduced in 2018 and is on every single-seater.

To deflect large objects away from the driver's head. Its three-point bar stops or deflects objects such as barriers or wheels.

Romain Grosjean. Grosjean said that without the halo he would not be able to speak.

The protection bar above the driver's head, compulsory since 2018: how it works, why it was imposed and Grosjean's accident at Bahrain 2020.

In 30 seconds

The halo is a protection bar with three mounting points above the cockpit, compulsory in F1 since 2018.
It is designed to stop or deflect large objects, such as barriers or another car's wheels, away from the driver's head.
Romain Grosjean credited the halo for walking away from his Bahrain 2020 accident.

Step by step

What it is
A protective structure fixed above the driver's head. It was introduced in 2018 and every F1 car has it.
How it protects
Its three-pronged bar is designed to stop or deflect large objects, such as barriers or another car's wheels, so they do not enter the cockpit.
Why it was chosen
The FIA tested other options, such as a transparent canopy, which was dropped because it made Sebastian Vettel dizzy after one lap. With the halo the idea of open-cockpit F1 ended, and at first the debate was more about looks than about safety.
Bahrain 2020
Romain Grosjean said after his 2020 Bahrain crash that without the halo he would not be able to speak.

See it in the data

Where to see it on Formuradar

Test yourself

Question 1 of 3Since which year has the halo been compulsory in F1?

Question 2 of 3What is the halo for?

Question 3 of 3Which driver credited the halo for coming out of his Bahrain 2020 accident?

Glossary for this page

Halo: A protection bar over the driver's head, with three mounting points, that deflects large objects away from the cockpit. Compulsory since 2018.

Sources

The halo was introduced in 2018 and is a three-pronged bar above the cockpit designed to stop or deflect large objects, such as barriers or another car's wheels. The Scotsman · What is halo? The device that saved Romain Grosjean in the Bahrain crash
The FIA tested other alternatives, such as a transparent canopy, dropped because it made Vettel dizzy; the introduction of the halo ended open-cockpit F1. Crash.net · FIA explains why the halo is the best solution
Grosjean credited the halo with surviving his Bahrain 2020 accident: without it, he said, he would not be able to talk to us. The Scotsman · What is halo? The device that saved Romain Grosjean in the Bahrain crash

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. The explanations are popular-level: for the exact rules, check the FIA sporting regulations.

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