Halo did most likely prevent Charles Leclerc being hit by Fernando Alonso's McLaren during the first corner crash at the Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA has found.

The Spaniard flew over the top of the Monegasque's Sauber at the start of the race at Spa after being hit from behind by Nico Hulkenberg on the approach to La Source.

In various camera angles the front-right wheel was seen bouncing off the Halo, which was controversially introduced in 2018, but there was uncertainty as to whether it prevented a strike on Leclerc's helmet.

Now an investigation by the governing body has given us the best indication on what would have happened if the cockpit device hadn't been present.

“From the available data and video footage, we are confident that the wheel would not have hit Leclerc’s helmet,” FIA safety director Adam Baker told Autosport.

“But, as Alonso’s car continued to yaw relative to Leclerc’s, we believe that Alonso’s front wing endplate would have just contacted Leclerc’s visor.

“It is difficult to predict the severity of the contact with any precision though.”

Also Read:

• Alonso & Leclerc praise Halo as Hulkenberg explains Spa start crash

The report has also indicated that the impact on the Halo was around half the force that it is designed to withstand.

So while there remains still some uncertainty on exactly if Leclerc would have been injured in the crash, let's just be thankful it's all hypothetical because of that ugly flip-flop that no-one liked.

Former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo has backed Sebastian Vettel despite another missed opportunity for the championship in 2018.

Leading the championship at the halfway point, the German's bid fell away when Lewis Hamilton racked up six wins in seven races from Hockenheim, eventually securing his fifth crown in Mexico.

In assessing how this season played out, Di Montezemolo does believe it was the Briton's performance that was the key to his success with Mercedes.

“This year Hamilton made the difference in his best season since his debut,” he told Italy’s RAI radio. “He has had moments of weakness and crisis, but this year with Ferrari he would have won."

The Italian insists that claim is not an attack on Vettel, who was criticised for several errors such as Monza, Japan and Austin where he spun after making contact with other cars.

"I say that not to belittle Vettel, who has every opportunity to rebuild with a competitive car," he continued.

“This Ferrari is a very different Ferrari to the one I left in October 2014, in terms of men and mentality. Ferrari did a good car this year, which in some situations was even better than Mercedes but the final part was missing.

“Vettel made some decisive mistakes, but for the world championship, you have to do everything to keep him up. He is a driver of the highest order and always close to the team.”

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• Vettel would have been 2018 F1 champion with more Ferrari support
• Leclerc can be the 'incentive' Vettel needs to improve in 2019

Di Montezemolo concluded by looking ahead to 2019 and warned Ferrari that the backing Sebastian lacked this season must be given next year, particularly with a new teammate.

“In frustration he must be supported, even more so with the arrival of a very strong boy [in Charles Leclerc] with a great future," Luca said.

“Schumacher also made mistakes in the first days, but it is always important to speak clearly in the locker room and support the team in public.”

Daniel Ricciardo believes his form during 2018 was likely impacted by the effects of considering his future for next season.

The Australian made an excellent start to the season with two brilliant victories in China and Monaco, however, they would be the only high points as retirements and often lagging behind teammate Max Verstappen saw him finish sixth in the Drivers' Championship.

Now, looking back, Ricciardo thinks his personal situation in the crucial few months leading upto the summer break, a deadline imposed by Red Bull to make his decision for next year, likely disrupted his performance.

"I feel like even if I was to say, trip and fall over on the way to the car and scratch all my arm, by the time I got in the car it would be blacked out in my head," he told ESPN.

"I guess what would have affected, which you probably don't think at a time, is when you're away from the track and instead of getting eight hours sleep a night, you're getting six hours sleep because your brain is ticking, for sure this has some form of an accumulated effect.

"Again, I think I am stronger than that and when I get in the car I am sweet, I am switched on, but maybe it did take a little bit away from me without me knowing.

"For sure there were nights where I didn't sleep as I should have because I had a lot on my mind. Then that builds up and I was probably not as sharp as I once was."

Also Read:

• Ricciardo 'confused' by Red Bull pace in final races of 2018
• Ricciardo leaving Red Bull having been 'broken' by Verstappen
• Ricciardo: Renault move 'terrifying' but 'I had to take this step'

Eventually, Ricciardo would make the surprise call to move to Renault, ending a 10-year association with Red Bull but even with that resolved his situation wasn't helped by a torrid 2018 consisting of eight retirements and no podiums except for the two times he stood on the top step.

"Even if you ignore the results there was so much going on around it, highs and lows," he admitted.

"Some of the DNFs were crazy but then the same year there was the high of Monaco and stuff like that, so it's a weird one.

"It was definitely as intense a season as I've experienced, both before and after I decided what I was doing next year."

Marcus Ericsson believes former Sauber teammate Charles Leclerc will "kick some ass" when he joins Ferrari in 2019.

The Monegasque impressed greatly in his rookie season with the Swiss team scoring 39 points and finishing in the points in five of the final seven races including as the top midfield runner twice.

That was after he was confirmed as a driver for the Scuderia next season, becoming the youngest to do so in over half a century at just 21, and Ericsson is sure Leclerc will live up to the ever-increasing hype.

“I will be very interested to follow Charles in Ferrari, I think he can do really well already next year," he told RaceFans.

Also Read:

• Ericsson wants credit along with Leclerc for Sauber's 2018 turnaround
• Ericsson calls F1 'artificial' compared to IndyCar after first test

The Swede, who is heading to IndyCar, also has his own reasons for hoping Leclerc will perform to the standard expected with Ferrari.

“And of course if he does really well it will be good for me because it will reflect very good on me," Ericsson believes.

“So let’s hope he kicks some ass over there! I think he will be interesting to follow, I’m pretty sure he will do very well.”

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has suggested years of inconsistent leadership at Woking resulted in the team's slump in performance in 2018.

A switch to Renault engines was supposed to be the catalyst for a resurgence of the British outfit this season following three tough years with Honda.

Though the team started well, with Fernando Alonso scoring points in the first five races, performance would go off the rails as development stalled and flaws with the car emerged leaving McLaren trailing with Williams at the back of the grid.

In July, Brown led an overhaul of the management structure including ousting Eric Boullier, but he suggested the issues went deeper when offering a candid look back on a difficult year.

"What has taken us here, the problems of this season were in the making for years," he was quoted by F1i.com. "My summary would be that we lacked consistency in leadership.

"I don't want to point to anyone, but there was a lack of focus for everything that was going on from the board down: investments, mergers of companies, changes in management, changes in executive directors, and ultimately, lack of attention.

"That is what created the problem. What happened was that people did not have clear objectives, a responsibility."

Though the car remained uncompetitive, Brown has suggested the issues have been found and even claimed a B-spec would have been developed had the time being available.

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Ultimately, what he is suggesting then is the situation at McLaren should be better in 2019 for the all-new driver line-up of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz.

"Our company has a lot of individual talent, a hundred people who have been with us for 20 years. We have not had the correct structure and that's what we want to correct," he said.

"Now we are on the road to recovery. As I told the people of McLaren, the feeling will be good before the results will be good.

"The development is going well, the teamwork, collaboration, communication and the responsibilities. Everything that we were short on, now we're doing well," he added.

"But until we get the new car on track, people will not be able to see the improvements we've made. I think this year has been the low point.

"We work hard to recover, but it will take a while," Brown concluded.

Kevin Magnussen admits being stuck in what has been dubbed 'F1.5' with Haas has impacted his racing psyche.

The Dane expressed his lack of interest in the battle for finishing fourth in the Constructors' Championship, something that has become the goal for most of the midfield teams with the top three of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull out of reach.

This despite his own performances improving the past two years since joining the American squad at the start of 2017.

“It does frustrate me,” he told Autosport. “It’s not that exciting fighting for best of the rest and all that, it’s not something that really turns me on."

Unable to fight for the major positions, with only a best finish of fifth on two occasions this past season, Magnussen almost admits the feeling each racing driver wants has become a distant memory.

“I’ve almost forgotten what a podium felt like, or a pole position or a championship win because it is so long since I have had the chance of getting this," he said.

“That’s a bit disappointing really but that’s the way it is.”

Also Read:

• Brawn: 'Unacceptable' podium record for midfield teams 'must be addressed'
• Magnussen prefers overachieving with Haas compared to struggling at Renault
• Haas: Midfield racing in 'F1.5' given gap to top three teams

Efforts are underway to try and address the performance differential but it's unlikely to be before 2021 meaning another two years at least of midfield obscurity.

“I don’t know if it worries me. It is what it is,” said Magnussen of that prospect. “At least I’m in a good team outside those top three teams and we are fighting for the best of the rest.

“I have been in the bottom team before and that’s definitely no fun, at least here you are fighting for points and fighting actually with some teams whereas if you’re rock bottom you’re not fighting anyone you are just driving around.

“But I do miss the feeling of a race win, fighting for championships, winning championships. I miss that dearly.”

During his four seasons on the F1 grid K-Mag has had just one podium in his Formula 1 career, second in his first race at McLaren in 2014.

New Sauber driver Antonio Giovinazzi is expecting a "tough" start alongside Kimi Raikkonen as he re-adjusts to racing in Formula 1 next year.

The Italian got the nod over Marcus Ericsson at the Swiss team but his promotion is really in place of Charles Leclerc with one seat reserved for a Ferrari junior.

He is under pressure to perform, however, after a disappointing end to a short stint at Sauber in 2017 standing in for Pascal Wehrlein, a period he claims won't offer much help as he prepares for his first full season.

"Unfortunately it's already a long time ago. It's the beginning of last year!" he said.

"It was not a full weekend [in Australia], it was only on Saturday. In China, I missed FP1 and FP2 because of the weather so I started again from FP3.

"It was difficult to approach, but fortunately next year will be a lot easier. I will have the winter tests in Barcelona and I will be a lot more ready when I arrive in Melbourne."

Also Read:

• Leclerc: Sauber looking strong for 2019 based on recent performance
• Sauber seeing early benefits from taking on Raikkonen for 2019
• Giovinazzi better prepared for F1 after learning lessons from 2017 stint

The 2015 GP2 champion faces a stern test though up against Raikkonen, who is arguably performing as well as 39 as he did during his prime.

It will also be a great learning experience for Giovinazzi who has only raced once, at Le Mans this year, since his last outing with Sauber in Shanghai.

"I can't wait to be honest," he admits. "I miss the pressure of the race weekend and also the race on Sunday. I can't wait until next year for the real pressure.

"It will be quite tough for the first races. I have a world champion beside me, who has a lot of years in F1.

"I need to do my job, try to improve race-by-race, and we'll see at the end of the year if we did a good job or not."

Red Bull didn't permit Daniel Ricciardo to test for Renault in Abu Dhabi as a ploy to hurt Renault, their managing director Cyril Abiteboul has claimed.

The Australian went home after the season finale at Yas Marina while many in the Formula 1 paddock remained for a two-day tyre test, gaining crucial information on next year's Pirelli tyres.

Red Bull claimed the reason why Ricciardo was the only driver not allowed to drive for his new team in 2019 was because he is still under contract until the end of the year, but Abiteboul disagrees.

"Sometimes you need a fresh wind in a team, new energy and a look at things. That is probably also the reason that Red Bull did not give Daniel permission to drive our car in Abu Dhabi because he could already give us tips on where we could improve," he told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"If Red Bull consciously deprives us of this opportunity, then it seems to me that we are heading in the right direction."

Also Read:

• Renault goals for 2019 depend on Red Bull-Honda partnership
• Ricciardo: Renault move 'terrifying' but 'I had to take this step'
• Ricciardo leaving Red Bull having been 'broken' by Verstappen

Ricciardo did complete his final farewells at Milton Keynes last week, however, and Abiteboul thinks the personality that has made the 29-year-old so popular since 2014 can be a big benefit at Renault.

"His laughter and positive attitude. Both parts that I think we're missing within the team," he added.

Pirelli motorsport boss Mario Isola has hit back at criticism of the tyres insisting other factors contributed to the conservative approach to races in Formula 1 this season.

As part of an effort to increase strategy options for teams, the Italian supplier went softer with their compounds in 2018 and also introduced a new Hypersoft tyre for street or low-grip circuits.

The impact, however, was different: "Faced with the problem of the 21 or 22 seconds that it costs to do a pit stop, the teams have preferred to slow down the drivers," Isola told France's Auto Hebdo.

"It's not just because of the tyres. There are other limitations including the engine and fuel consumption and so on.

"Personally, I would like to see the drivers attack more."

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• Pirelli to reduce number of compounds available in 2019
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Rounded efforts are underway between teams, drivers and Pirelli to try and improve the racing with the different parties working together on allocating compounds to each race next year.

There is another option that has been touted previously but Isola doubts it would help.

"The regulations could impose a minimum of two stops, but there is a good chance that everyone would stop at the same time," he said.

"It's a complex problem that is not easy to understand. Every decision we make must be accurately evaluated.

"We had discussions with the drivers and the teams on this subject, as well as the FIA and FOM, but nobody has a miracle solution."

Marcus Ericsson has labelled Formula 1 as "artificial" following his first test in an IndyCar ahead of his 2019 debut.

The Swede was dropped by Sauber after five seasons in F1 after being predominantly outclassed by rookie Charles Leclerc and with Kimi Raikkonen keen to continue his career after being dropped by Ferrari.

Ericsson will remain in a reserve driver role which he has already criticised and now it seems America is already bringing benefits as he teamed up with Schmidt Peterson Motorsport for the first time at Sebring.

"I'd never seen these cars live before," he said of the IndyCars. "It was cool to see the other guys go out. The car looks really cool. I've watched a lot of clips on the internet to prepare myself for this.

"This sort of gets me back to why I fell in love with racing."

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This year saw America's premier open-wheel series overhaul the design of the cars with less downforce and the goal of making the racing better.

Commenting on the main differences between the two, Ericsson admitted the IndyCar allowed for what many have believe F1 has been lacking in recent years.

"F1 is always going to be F1, you know? But it's sort of a bit artificial in some ways. You always go to these perfect places, and that's not racing, I would say. This takes me back to the passion of racing," he said.

"As a driver, you have to work this car a lot more. F1 always starts from perfection, whereas here you have to deal with the car you have and then sort of perfect it. It's a lot more work from the driver. That's the biggest difference."