London - Daniel Ricciardo says Formula One drivers will welcome the introduction of head protection in 2017.
The FIA governing body wants all teams to run with a new “Halo” design on their cars following a number of high-profile incidents in recent years.
The “Halo” - first trialled by Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes team - is designed to shield drivers from flying debris. It is attached to each side of the rear of the cockpit, with a single strut in front of the driver which, apparently, does not obstruct his view. British driver Justin Wilson was killed in August after being struck on the helmet by a nose cone from another car during a race in the IndyCar Series.
“Our head is the only really vulnerable thing at the moment,” said Ricciardo. “It's not taking away anything from the driver in terms of courage or anything like that, it's a simple little benefit that we can all gain from and no one wants to see another fatality, so if we can minimise the risk then why not?
“I honestly don't think anyone is against it. Some people probably didn't have an opinion, but most spoke up and said 'it's what we want'.”
The FIA have explored a number of measures designed to protect drivers from flying debris after Brazilian Felipe Massa was struck by a spring from Rubens Barrichello's Brawn in 2009.
The “Halo” is the FIA's preferred option but Red Bull plan to put forward an alternative, which team principal Christian Horner said is more of a canopy design.
The Independent