A lot of drivers have been killed by neck injuries. Your head is heavy even without the helmet, causes spinal cord injury.
Not a fan of F1, but the finalky woke up some by requiring 'halos' on the cars. I had thought they should require Top Fuel style hoops to protect the heads. That support bar in the middle of the driver's line of sight must be a pain. I imagine the drivers learn to focus past it, but ugly as spit IMHO.