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Red Bull releases Aeroscreen static test video

Sutton Images

Red Bull has released a video of the Aeroscreen's static test after it was officially unveiled during Friday practice in Sochi.

The canopy design ran on Daniel Ricciardo's car for an installation lap at the start of FP1 so the team could hear driver feedback on the cockpit protection design. The Aeroscreen is one of two concepts being considered for implementation next year; Ferrari tested the Halo concept over winter testing.

Moments after Ricciardo had returned to the pit lane Red Bull shared a video of the screen's static test, which involved a Formula One tyre being fired at 225 km/h into the canopy. The video appears to show two different attempts, one from a higher angle and another close-up with a replay to follow.

The tyre visibly dents the canopy on both occasions the structure does the job of deflecting the tyre away from the head by a narrow margin -- though it should be noted the test dummy appeared to be a lot higher up in the cockpit than Ricciardo was when he tested the Aeroscreen.

The Aeroscreen is the favoured design for the Red Bull drivers, though Lewis Hamilton said yesterday F1 should fully close the cockpit if it is going to adopt cockpit protection in 2017.