Whiting says halo didn’t compromise Hulkenberg’s exit from rolled Renault

FIA race director Charlie Whiting says Nico Hulkenberg’s halo did not compromise the Renault Formula 1 driver’s extraction following his first lap crash in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Hulkenberg’s car came to rest upside down, leaning against the barrier at the outside of the Turn 8/9 chicane, after he was sent into a series of flips by his clash with Romain Grosjean.

The policy in such circumstances is to wait for the car to be righted before trying to get the driver out.

But the length of time it took for Hulkenberg to emerge from the wreckage led some observers to suggest that the halo had made it harder for him to get out.

Whiting stressed that Hulkenberg actually had more space because of the way the halo supports the whole cockpit.

“Quite clearly that’s one of the sort of accidents the halo was designed to help with,” Whiting said when asked about the situation. “It provides more space for the driver once the car is upside down.

“When you have an accident like that the radio from the car is automatically routed to race control so we get immediate information.”

When asked about any criticism of the situation on Sunday, Whiting added: “We knew he was OK and there was nothing to worry about there.

“So the routine under those circumstances is to put the car back on its wheels, which has to be done carefully of course.

“It was very controlled from what I could see, and our medical delegate was more than happy with the way it was done. It all worked exactly as it should.”