What is halo in F1? Lewis Hamilton hails cockpit system which ‘saved his neck’ after horror crash with Max Verstappen at Italian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen crashed out of the Italian Grand Prix together as they collided earlier this season – with the halo appearing to save Britain’s seven-time world champion from serious injury.

The incident occurred shortly after Hamilton emerged from the pit lane on lap 26, narrowly ahead of Verstappen, prompting the 24-year-old to aggressively fight for the position.

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Hamilton and Verstappen will now battle it out in the final race of the season and go into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix level on points following a year of high drama.

Fans are expecting more firework in the UAE with plenty of talk of what will happen if the two main title contenders crash out again.

While we all hope the halo won't be needed for any emergency like in Italy, just what is it, how long has it been in F1 and how did it help Hamilton? marvelbet369.com takes a look...

F1 Halo

The halo was introduced back in 2018 as an added safety feature that is now a mandatory inclusion on all Formula One cars.

The one-time controversial device is a three-pronged titanium bar that surrounds the driver's cockpit.

The halo is designed to protect drivers from serious injuries from either head trauma or flying debris.

Romain Grosjean credited it with saving his life following his dramatic crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix back in 2020.

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Italian Grand Prix

The halo also proved it's worth after appearing to save Hamilton from serious injury during his crash with title rival Verstappen.

As the Brit left the pits, Verstappen drew alongside the Mercedes driver and, as they fought for position at the Variante Del Rettifilo, they collided.

Hamilton moved to his left to defend his position at the right-hander, with the Mercedes driver still just in front for the ensuing left-hander.

Verstappen ran out of room, and ran over the kerb which launched his Red Bull out of control and into Hamilton’s Mercedes.

The rear of the Dutchman’s airborne machine ran over the top of Hamilton’s helmet, with the protective halo device absorbing the impact.

Verstappen’s rear tyre came into close proximity with Hamilton’s head, despite the presence of safety features including the halo.

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What has been said?

Hamilton: “Honestly, I feel very fortunate.

“Thank God for the halo, that ultimately, I think, saved me, and saved my neck.”

He added: “I don't think I've ever been hit on the head by a car before and it's quite a shock for me, because I don't know if you've seen the image but my head really is quite far forward.

“And I've been racing a long, long time, so I'm so, so grateful that I'm still here.

“I think Angela [Cullen, Hamilton’s personal physiotherapist] is going to be travelling me with me these next days, but I probably will need to see a specialist, just to make sure it's good for the next race, because it's getting tighter and tighter… It definitely feels like it's getting a little bit worse, as the adrenaline is [wearing] off, but I'll work with Ang to fix it… I'll live!”