F1 Safety Suggestions

Now tell me how are you going it get out of that, and it does effect the appearance. This would be a safety issue just getting out , plus a part the size that hit Massa could still get in there. A flying wheel with suspension could still cause injury or death! The best solution is take the driver out of the car, future fighter planes won't have a pilot. No driver, no risk and the end of Motorsport.
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Future of Motorsport, remote operated F1 Car. Just playing around, I hope it doesn't come to this.
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The suspension assembly is bolted onto the Brawn so they are responsible for the whole car.

Yes it is a freak accident but why do you think it ok for cars to leave harmful debris on the track? Car pieces do not fly out if they are correctly assembled or not defective. Debris after an accident is a different matter. I think a penalty is in order.

Massa was unlucky but at the same time lucky the spring did not hit directly the helmet's eyeport.

 

I think this concept works the best for the looks yet providing frontal intrusion of tires and barriers.
Tube size could be reduced dramatically with molded carbon fibre struts. Top bars or the whole structure could fold upwards/forwards on hinges to permit easy exit. Simple release as used in seatbelts
The collars around the cockpits NOW restrict entry/exit so lets not use entry/exit as an excuse.

I know the cars are safer now. When Kubica crashed at Canada I thought he was a goner. The carbon fibre tub saved his bacon.
Look at the crash again. His head came amazing close to structures. Just by pure luck his head didnt hit. Luck. Thats it.
A cage would have ensured safety.

Surtees death and MANY more could have been prevented with a cage. Ask his parents if they would rather their son be alive or would they rather he be dead and the cars still look "cool".
When new things come out there is always resistance. Look at the formula cars from the 60's. The roll hoops were laughable if existent at all. We learned and often painfully. Time and safety march on.

I want to make it clear I am not a safety "nut". I take risks every day in my work. Believe me.

However if we can make this sport safer why the heck not ?

 

Many years ago when drivers were hurt by fire research suggested that one of the problems was the injured drivers inability to fire the suppression system. Further, it wasn't the "fire" per-se that killed 'em, but rather breathing the noxious fumes. This led to them carrying a small air bottle connected to the helmet which would fire in parallel with the extinguisher - But, you've still got to get the system initiated......

This problem led Sir Jackie and Tyrell to install and test some g-meters - Theory was, if any of these detected a deceleration of more than "X"g, then the system would fire automatically. They set 'em to some "reasonable" number (10G?) and out he went (at the 'Ring IIRC) - Upon his safe return all had "tripped"..... They increased the trigger point - Same thing and AFAIK the research stopped - They had no idea how this much force was causing 'em to trip or what was going on!

However, this was before the electronics we have today, and fire is almost a non-issue - In fact, they removed the air bottle as it was suggested that the air would actually encourage the fire to feed directly into the drivers helmet - Remember the "curtain" style bibs they used to wear?

I reckon it should now be possible to install accurate and reliable G-meters to detect "catastrophic" forces - But then what do you do? Any ideas gratefully received!

Obviously, this wouldn't have helped Felipe, but as has been noted; "what are the odds?".

Finally, I have no problem with the "look" of a full cage (I don't like it, but if it saves a life we'd get used to it) BUT, it's the being trapped problem I don't like......

Cheers,
Ian

 

The sensor are already developed and in use today inside of football helmets. This technology can be transferred over to motorsport with relative ease now that we have a standard ECU in place to shut down the engine. The only portion that needs to be developed is a system to apply slight breaking forces.

http://simbex.com/HIT_system.htm

 

+1 There was an interesting article in SI a while back - The helmets generally display a green led which turns red after a "significant" impact - Cool stuff that the NFL is resisting because they suspect there'd be 30 odd guys running round with little red lights on by the end of the game......

I'm splitting hairs here, but the standard ECU is irrelevant - But yes, I agree, it could be set such that the helmet (and it's associated electronics) could shut down the engine automatically - Just as it does already if it detects certain failures. However, I've been watching racing for over 40 years and can't recall a case other than this one in which it would have been "relevant" - I *suspect* we'd see someone's system fail before it was really needed again.

Cheers,
Ian

 

If you ever driven a formula car then you Know a cage is not the answer, works on a sprint car because the driver sits upright and not in a lay down position as a Formula Car. I suggest sitting in a formula car then try to exit and you'll see it's not easy to get out as they are now. Now put a 3 side cardbroad box on top and try to get out. You say "The collars around the cockpits NOW restrict entry/exit so lets not use entry/exit as an excuse" Yes entry and exit is a big deal, the collars remove easily and are not a problem.

Why should we stop here with Formula Cars lets put cages on Sport Racers too like Audi's etc. just as dangerous as a Formula car in the head area.

Remember you have choice to drive or not to drive these types of cars, Surtees knew the risks, his parents knew the risks especially his father, he chose to drive this type of car. Surtee's could have just as easliy been killed in a traffic accident, the moment the doctor smacks you on the butt the life before you is a risk every day. Again Racing is dangerous, if you sit around and think about what if, you don't belong in a race car. I started racing Formula Cars when they were really dangerous and I saw people hurt and killed but it didn't stop me from racing, I never questioned stuff like this and still don't. These are freak accidents and they happen from time to time, Kubica's accident was bad but he survived, I can show you many full body race car crashes where drivers were killed. Some of them killed by their head hitting on the cage.

Bottom line here you have a choice to race or not to race, open wheel or closed and both are dangerous.

 

Everyone is concerned over the larger items flying off the cars latly, how about when a driver runs off in the gravel and back onto the track...Someone do the math...hitting one of those rocks at 180mph is like being shot.

 

My first race car was a Formula Vee and I progressed to Atlantics before quitting many years ago.
A few years back I had a new desire to try it "one more time" and chose formula Mazda.
Yes there are dangers to racing. I prefer to call them calculated risks. Anytime the calculation can be moved closer to "safe" the effort is worth it.
Assuming that racing is dangerous and a life threatening risk does not excuse efforts to reduce that risk. Did you drive your cars without seatbelts, Fire preventing clothing and equipment, roll hoops, ambulance crews, or any of the myriad of efforts to reduce risk ? If so why ? We're all going to die anyhow.

Racing Formula 1 is no longer a sure bet that one will die in one's career because of efforts and developments made by many to make the sport as safe as possible. Roll cages are but one more possible developement.

 

Good to see you are a fellow Formula Car Driver, I'm not against development in safety I still feel Cages are not the answer and I think there is a solution out there without going the cage route.

 

fantastic point - no one has thought about the gravel traps, so it's then the track's fault and they should no longer be able to hold races if gravel gets knocked onto the track and someone hits same and slings it back to the next person and they get zapped by the flying rock???

DC has summed up the situation perfectly...........
One of the solutions that has being bandied about since is for F1 cars to adopt canopies that would offer the drivers more protection.

Coulthard, however, believes this would go against the very "essence" of Formula One racing.

"Events of the past two weeks have naturally left the world of motorsport in shock. Two such high-profile incidents, beamed across the world, have led to loud calls for a review of the safety in open-cockpit racing," the Scot told The Telegraph.

"During my career it was not all that unusual to be hit by bits of flying debris; stones that were kicked up by cars ahead and so on. It is an inherent weakness in the design of a Formula One car and a basic risk of open-cockpit racing.

"Perhaps it surprises non-F1 fans that the most vulnerable area of the body is the least protected, but I would argue that this feature is indispensable. We could close the cockpit and build machines that are more like touring cars, but that would go against the essence of our sport.

"Although we have seen two awful crashes in a week, I would advocate the exercise of restraint rather than jump to any knee-jerk response."

But, according to Coulthard, there has already been one knee-jerk reaction to recent events as Renault were suspended from the next race in Valencia for "knowingly" allowing Fernando Alonso to leave the pits with a loose tyre.

"Safety is uppermost in people's minds right now but that shouldn't influence decisions. Yes, a wheel came off Fernando Alonso's Renault during the race on Sunday, but I think the decision to suspend the team for Valencia next month was harsh and a conscious response to recent events," he added.

"Drivers and teams are always going to race until something forces them to quit. It's in their nature. Other teams accept this because they are exactly the same. Motor racing is dangerous and the participants accept that."

He added: "I'm all for improving the safety in Formula One, I just don't want to see the essence of the sport compromised. This is a time for cool heads."


Carol

regarding Audi comment and cage - I believe if Audi though it was a necessity, the R10, R15 would be a coupe!

 

If exercising restraint means operating with the status quo then head impact deaths will continue to the end of time.

I have one son. He has never seen me race. I dont want him to for fear of him "getting the bug" as I would never allow him to race a formula car.
Fortunately he is into soccer. Pretty damn good too if I dont say.

 

Well it's nice to hear from guys that have been there and done it, and wear the safety T shirt ..thats all I can say.

End of the day it's hard to argue against the logic where safety is concerned IMO, but I'd listen to a racing drivers points first.

 

Why don't we put the crowd in a bubble too? Do they not bleed. Say, all wear bubble outfits with see-through Kevlar.

why it is nice to dream up stuff, I'd let the drivers do it first. Having a programmer think for the user never works except in the obvious, and here you are trying to program for every condition.

Having sensors for the obvious alarming those in concern that something is amiss, makes sense : landing gear down? etc.