The FIA's decision to make the cockpit protection system mandatory from this year led to an outcry among leading F1 figures and those who follow the sport last year – because, quite simply, it looks so unappealing.

But amid the consensus that it will make F1 cars ugly, it is all too easy to forget that there is a justifiable reason why the Halo is coming: it's to help protect the drivers.

As Giorgio Piola's exclusive animation shows, the Halo has been designed to withstand the kind of extreme forces from debris that could seriously injure or kill a driver were he to be hit on the head.

The Halo has to withstand a force from the front of 83kN, and a lateral load of 93kN – which are more than car roll hoops have had to withstand in recent years.

Furthermore, the aim is that the Halo can fend off a strike by a 20kg object – like a wheel – that hits it at around 225km/h.