Shield a better solution than Halo

The FIA indicated last month that the Shield is now the preferred choice over the Halo, and that it will be tested on track in practice sessions from the Italian GP onwards. Discussions between teams and the FIA continued with a meeting in Monaco.

Newey says he would be happy to see the shield mandated for 2018, as long as there are no issues such as visibility problems.

"I think it's a better solution than the Halo, that's for sure," he told Motorsport.com.

"I think the first thing with the Shield is to check the visibility, to see if it's a viable option. If the distortion is too much, then it's a non-starter, obviously.

"In terms of then having a closed cockpit, I don't think that's such a big thing to be honest. But I think it's getting quite tight for 2018."

Newey suggested that work should also continue on reducing the risks associated with lost wheels and other major parts.

IndyCar driver Justin Wilson's fatal accident at Pocono in 2015 led to the US-based series putting an extra focus on such measures.

"In the mean time I feel that there are things that can be done to minimise the risk, particularly from flying wheels or debris," Newey added.

"The tethers on the wheels aren't 100 percent at the moment, we still occasionally see wheels coming off.

"IndyCar has tethered other things, such as front wing/nosebox and rear wing, and so forth. That seems to me to be a good interim solution.

"We've raised it, but there's not been a lot of action so far. I guess it's all in discussion."