The FIA has already spent years trying to find a solution that helps protects drivers' heads, while at the same time not hindering access to the cockpit – or reducing visibility too much.

Tests of new concepts are due to take place soon with three designs – a small forward roll-hoop, the Mercedes-inspired 'halo' concept, and a new centreline roll-hoop idea featuring three long strips of material.

The FIA's safety director Laurent Mekies said: “We are trying to find concepts that can do the job – and we will find a way that can deal with the other matters [of visibility and extraction]. We are scanning quite a broad range of solutions.”

This exclusive video from Motorsport.com's technical editor Giorgio Piola shows how that new centreline concept could work – and how it compares to the halo idea that was been widely discussed before.