'Unsatisfied' Bianchi's father calls on F1 to improve cockpit safety

The father of late Formula One racer Jules Bianchi has insisted that F1 should work towards the improvement of the newly-introduced cockpit safety after he was left unconvinced by the Halo device.

Earlier on Thursday, Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen became the first driver to test the Halo closed cockpit system during the testing in Spain. The Halo was designed to protect drivers from flying debris and from life-threatening accidents, the Guardian reported.

Philippe, who had lost his son after he suffered brain injuries in a crash at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2014, believes that the Halo device would not be a proper solution for the drivers' safety and, therefore, called on the F1's governing body to do more when it comes to the driver's safety.

Philippe, however, admitted that the system would be effective in case a wheel comes off during the race and said that it would be a step forward to the drivers' safety.

He also advocated the development of the Head and Neck Support device (HANS) system, saying that it would have a greater impact in kind of accidents that killed Jules.

The death of Bianchi had triggered calls for improved safety measures for drivers. His car number 17 was subsequently retired from the sport in his honour.