The FIA has approved the first supplier of the new Halo head protection system which is being introduced for the 2018 F1 season.

CP Tech, which is owned by Dutch group Nedschroef, has been approved to produce parts for the device. The firm’s said its parts “achieved the stringent requirements prescribed by the FIA Standard”.

The firm’s managing director Thomas Casey said the company had been selected for its “expertise in the complex mechanical processing of titanium and additional materials”.

“It is another lighthouse project that we can be proud of based on our experience of more than 25 years in the motorsport business,” he added.

Halo has been designed to deflect large objects from drivers, such as wheels, at impact speeds of up to 225kph. It has been in development since 2011 and the first examples have already been delivered to teams.

Halo will also be mandatory in Formula Two from this season and Formula E will begin using it when its 2018-19 championship begins at the end of the year. Most open-wheel championships are expected to follow suit by 2020.

2018 F1 season