► New for 2020
► Developed by Red Bull Technologies
► Same capabilites as Halo, but with anti-fogging
You’re looking at the new 2020 IndyCar, racing next year in the NTT series – complete with a new Red Bull designed Aeroscreen. Originally tested as a driver safety concept in F1, Red Bull’s Aeroscreen eventually lost out to the Halo you currently see F1 cars using. And while we’re here, do they still look awful, two years on?
Red Bull?
Anywya, the Aeroscreen wasn’t developed directly by the Red Bull Racing team, but by their engineering arm, Red Bull Technologies – much like Williams Advanced Engineering or McLaren’s Applied Technologies branch. And just like the Halo, the Aeroscreen is designed to protect drivers from flying debris or objects that could enter the cockpit area.
Red Bull Technologies says the new devices should be able to withstand 150 kiloNewtons of force, which is around the same force as the Halo can.
It’s basically a wraparound ballistic screen, attached to the cockpit via a titanium framework that looks a lot like the actual Halo device, only with a windscreen.
Anti-fogging?
Fogging and reflections were two concerns raised when the laminated polycarbonate screen wewas first trialled by the Red Bull F1 team. The new Aeroscreen combats with with an anti-fogging heating element on the interior of the screen, anti-reflective coating, and possible tear-offs instead of windscreen wipers.
There could be a cooling system added later for drivers, too, which sounds quite luxurious to our ears.
We’ll update this article when we know more about IndyCar’s new Aeroscreen. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.