Wolff laments 'dreadful' halo device

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has described the halo device as 'dreadful' and a 'completely alien' addition to Formula One cars as all the teams involved in the sport attempt to adapt to the introduction before the start of the 2018 campaign next year.

The halo device will be mandatory on all F1 cars from the start of next season and it is designed as a titanium frame surrounding the head of the driver so they are protected from potential debris following any crashes.

The FIA have conducted a series of case studies to determine whether a halo would have helped prevent serious incidents in the past, and although Wolff admits that improved safety is a huge positive, he is not a fan of the design.

"It's a dreadful piece!" he told ESPN.

"We've had it in the staff briefing and we've shown it. It's a huge piece of metal, much too heavy, it feels completely alien and I'd like to saw it off if I could!

"But then we need to look after driver safety and if there is a device that helps to protect lives, then we need to put it on the car. Maybe in the future we can find a solution that is a little bit more aesthetically pleasing than the halo.

"In terms of aerodynamic development it didn't interfere too much and everyone has the same problem."

It is expected that the halo will add on plenty of weight to the cars, meaning that teams will need to work hard to get under the minimum weight limit for the vehicles before the season. Mercedes had particular issues with this last year, and Wolff has claimed that these problems have arisen again.

"With all the bolts and nuts it's probably 10 kilos that you have up at the highest point in the car," Wolff continued.

"So the centre of gravity moves up a large chunk and you need to compensate for that. So it's all wrong!"