Daniel Ricciardo believes fans and drivers alike will soon adjust to the introduction of the Halo in 2018, comparing the visual change to major aerodynamic alterations of the last decade.
The cockpit protection device, which was forced through for next year on safety grounds by the FIA back in July, remains deeply unpopular with fans, with some even mourning the end of open-cockpit racing after the season finale in Abu Dhabi last month.
However, while acknowledging the division it has caused, the Red Bull driver doesn’t think the outrage will last once everyone becomes accustomed to seeing it on the cars.
“I think there’s been very mixed feelings between drivers and within the media and among fans,” Ricciardo admitted.
“It doesn’t look as nice as how the cars look now, but I think when the cars changed between 2008 and 2009 they also didn’t look very good but people got used to it and then it became normal to have the tall and narrow rear wings even though it was a very strange F1 car.”
Along with the aesthetics, many have claimed the introduction of Halo is taking away the thrill associated with open-cockpit cars, but the Australian disagrees and suggested the main reason for Halo being added in the first place is being lost in the noise.
“I think people will get over Halo quite soon and it’s more to save the freak accidents and if any part of the car flies off it can stop a fatality,” he said. “People forget and it’s easy when there hasn’t been one for a couple of years, people say it’s all fine and safe but every time something happens it highlights the dangers.
“It won’t change the adrenaline of the sport, the excitement, all it’s really doing is protecting us from a freak accident and the racing will still be the same. The risks we take are still the same, so I don’t see any real big change. For the fans it’s only the look they will need to adjust to but the racing shouldn’t change one bit.”