Vettel thinks 'Halo' protection could have saved Justin Wilson's life
Sebastian Vettel emulated his teammate Kimi Raikkonen by testing out the prototype "Halo" system at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The device continues to polarize opinions of fans and F1 insiders. On Thursday evening, Lewis Hamilton created surprise by putting his views on social media.
"Please no!" said the three-time Formula One World Champion. "This is the worst looking mod in F1 history. I appreciate the quest for safety but this is F1, and the way it is now is perfectly fine."
Hamilton also noted that he hoped it would be optional, and that if so he would not use it -- although the FIA is clearly not going to follow such path.
In stark contrast, Vettel says he is fully behind the "Halo" concept, even if it needs a little attention in order to improve its looks.
"I think first of all, to go around is OK," Vettel said. "You can see what you need to see. I think we can improve the system in terms of aesthetics, and also in terms of how much visibly is in your way. But I tested it as well in the simulator, and I think we will see probably evolutions of it very soon.
"In principle, I agree it doesn't look very nice. It's not a picture that you are used to from F1 for a long time, but equally you know it helps to increase the safety -- it helps saving lives."
Vettel even named two drivers whose lives could have been saved.
"There would be at least two drivers in the last few 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 as ugly as possible, but I think nothing justifies not having these two guys around."
