Formula 1 has found a solution to hiding the Halo it seems, with a new 'futuristic' television graphic making its debut at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend.
The head protection device has been routinely criticised for its uglyness prior to the start of the season and then came in for further flack when it appeared on television for the first time in Australia via the onboard camera.
With the onboard camera situated on the side of the car, little of the track was visible, blocked out by the halo. Formula One Management (FOM) responded by dropping this camera and instead using the T-bar position, which sits atop the drivers head, slightly offset to one side.
This solved much of the hidden track problem, but the halo still takes up half the screen. Some teams took the initiative of placing sponsors on the inside of the halo, or in Haas' case, their driver's names for easier identification.
However FOM have gone a step further this weekend by introducing a new graphic, which has received a widely positive review on social media.
The halo graphic, which somewhat mimicks the head-up display in a fighter jet, shows when a driver is on the accelerator or brake, the gear they've selected, their RPM and their speed, whilst obscuring none of the track or driver's helmet.
