Formula 1: New safety support to be made compulsory in F1

A new head and neck support is likely to be made compulsory in Formula One.

The device has been designed by an American scientist to help prevent serious head, neck and spinal injuries in major accidents.

Dubbed the Head and Neck Support System, or HANS, the carbon-fibre instrument could be introduced into official FIA regulations by next year.

HANS is still being developed and tested by drivers - but has been described as "very uncomfortable" by Ferrari racer Rubens Barrichello.

The product of a year's research, HANS has been available to drivers as an option.

But the FIA are hoping that with further development they can eradicate the problem of discomfort and introduce the device with the drivers' full support.

FIA spokesman Francesco Longanesi said: "The system is currently under testing and it is taking a little bit longer mainly because of the discomfort to drivers.

"We were hoping maybe to introduce it this year but now it is probably delayed until next year.

"But with new systems you can't really predict because the testing is really to see what is going wrong and try to solve it.

"The programme would be to introduce it as soon as possible after the testing becomes totally satisfactory."

He added: "It might very well be compulsory. But rather than a compulsory thing, what the FIA would be seeking is a unanimous agreement from the drivers.

"We don't want to impose something unless the side-effects are completely cancelled. So if every driver is satisfied and says 'okay, it's really good, fantastic - let's go for it', then we would put it in the regulations and make it compulsory."

Longanesi explained that HANS was being considered by the FIA as an alternative to an airbag - a method which has proved very difficult to adapt for an F1 race car.

He said: "Basically it retains the head of the driver in case he has a crash. It would replace effectively an airbag, which seems to be a part we have abandoned in Formula One.

"It is virtually impossible to have an airbag which blows at the right time. The braking is so powerful that the car's computer might think the braking is a crash.

"Or you can reduce sensitivity, and the bag might not blow even if you have a crash.

"So this system is meant to replace the airbag. It retains the head in case of a violent impact to stop the driver's head hitting the wheel, and protects the neck."