The FIA is hoping to reduce the thickness of its controversial halo cockpit protection device before its mandated introduction in 2018.
The halo’s introduction was determined during a Formula 1 Strategy Group meeting in July.
It has been slammed largely on aesthetic grounds, though race director Charlie Whiting is confident that the look of the device can be refined relative to the test versions.
In addition to teams being able to apply aerodynamic fairings to the halo, as cited by Whiting, the FIA is testing a revised version of the halo with a narrower central pillar, with the aim of improving forward vision.
The likelihood is that it will ask teams to try it on track later in the season.
“The central strut is currently 20mm,” explained FIA safety director Laurent Mekies.
“We feel that we have scope to reduce that thickness for the benefit of the drivers’ forward vision.
“So we will be testing before next year, going as low as 16mm, and see how much we can push it.”
The halo returned to the track for the first time since the announcement with Mercedes test driver George Russell sampling the device during the second day of the post-Hungarian Grand Prix test.
Teams are keen to gain more experience with it as they study the impact on aerodynamics, especially the flow into the airbox.
The FIA has given permission for teams to conduct further track tests before the end of the season, including on race weekends.
“We’ve told some teams that have asked that they can use them during FP1 and FP2,” said Whiting. “And during in-season tests.
“Not tyre tests, but for example the two-day test here (Hungary); we said they could use them at this test, the test after Abu Dhabi, and in free practice sessions on the first day at any event, as most of them did last year.”
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