IndyCar will require an Advanced Frontal Protection (AFP) deflector in an open test on April 24 and beginning with the Indy 500 in May, it will be mandatory for the remainder of the season.
The AFP is a little more than three inches tall and will be installed in front of the cockpit along the chassis centerline. It was chosen over a halo-type device because it better fits the current design of the car.
The AFP is designed to deflect debris away from the driver. Versions of the piece have been tested both on track and in simulators since 2012.
The piece has passed the same strength tests as Dallara’s roll hoop.
IndyCar teams received information about the safety requirement on Tuesday.
“Safety is a never-ending pursuit, and this is IndyCar’s latest step in the evolution,” IndyCar President Jay Frye said at IndyCar.com.