Raikkonen: Testing breakdowns are no concern

A prototype "halo" head protection device made its Formula One test debut in Spain on Thursday, with Kimi Raikkonen declaring visibility to be "OK" after lapping with it attached to the cockpit of his Ferrari.

Raikkonen tested the driver's visibility of the Halo for two laps at the Circuit de Catalunya - the first time the system has been seen on an F1 auto during a public session - before his Ferrari team removed the installation.

"We are a bit limited in the front but I don't think it is the final version so surprisingly little difference".

"I locked the front wheel and went straight, luckily we stopped before the wall", Grosjean said.

Measures created to reduce the risk of head injuries in single-seater racing cars have been under discussion for a number of years but intensified following the death of driver Jules Bianchi last July.

The main objective was to assess whether or not the halo - created to protect drivers from flying debris - would introduce a new element of danger by adding blind spots within the cockpit.

"We can fix it, there's still time".

After Kimi Raikkonen used the halo protector for the first time, Mercedes' Nico Rosberg voiced his support for the innovation.

"Obviously, it could be slightly better at this point - but it's testing and the objective of testing is to try things", Raikkonen said after his Tuesday run, having finished the day fourth overall.

Medium tires favor reliability over speed, meaning Hamilton and Rosberg were not challenging the leading times as they logged 144 laps between them.

"In many ways we could have done faster lap times if we wanted and more running but I think one of the best days we have managed to do with no issues".

Astronaut Scott Kelly returns to Earth
Another impressive shot was one of the Milky Way which Kelly described as "old, dusty, gassy and warped". His mission inspired a nationwide following; he tweeted dozens of stunning photos of earth from space.


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