Sainz: Formal driver vote on Halo would be "common sense"

The Formula 1 Strategy Group voted against using the Halo in 2017, instead deferring the introduction of cockpit protection - in a yet undetermined form - until 2018.

Sainz, however, thinks a formal driver vote on the matter should be taken into account by the sport's governing body.

"I think is that every driver should try it before 2017, then every driver should give their opinion and there should be a vote after running the Halo," Sainz suggested.

"This is the most common sense thing to do, even though in the end they probably won’t take into consideration our vote."

Interim solution

Regarding the decision to postpone the Halo, Sainz said he would have preferred to see it implemented as an interim solution next year.

"Everyone took a decision to have a protection device in 2018 – doesn’t mean it will be a Halo, it means all the teams and FIA will work to provide a safety component for 2018.

"But it probably means in 2017 we have nothing in the car, which opens the question of what happens if something happens in 2017.

"I think Halo [could’ve been] a solution for one year before they come up with something more advanced. But it’s clear for ’17 they cannot bring this.

"They want to bring it for ’18, but if something happens in ’17, you look back and say 'ah, maybe we should have left the Halo [on] for one year', before bringing on the nice-looking super-safe aspect for 2018 that they have promised.

"It’s a question mark we all have, hopefully it will not be like that and nothing will happen."

Additional reporting by Jamie Klein