Closed cockpits in F1

I, for one, would like to see closed cockpit and enclosed wheels adopted on F1 and Indy cars. The enclosed Delta Wing is absolutely fabulous, as far as I am concerned.

There is nothing wrong in my book about the direction Indy has taken in car configuration, and I think that any step that improve motor racing has to be taken.
Motorsport is not a blood sport, and it should never be considered as one.

What is interesting in motor racing is the display of skills, not the off chance to witness carnage.

 

I think you catch my drift.

Its because its dangerous that it has to be as safe as possible.

 

The rumor is that the FIA are looking into biologically engineered 60' tall obese mothers with breasts for fingers to border the perimeter of each track to catch all straying cars with a loving and nurturing embrace.

 

You're missing the point. Tractors are not out on the track... they're not out when the guys are racing. They're out when something happens from a racing incident and not having them out creates an ongoing inherent danger once the cars start racing full speed.

Going off during a caution is very very rare and probably shouldn't happen... ever.

As for having to drive fast to have downforce... rubbish. These drivers can certainly maintain control of their car going 40 or 50 mph... and... if they did happen to lose control at that speed I'd imagine the danger of doing so would be significantly less.

Jules went off like a missle... there's some distance between from the corner from the impact. If you go off at 50... there's a good chance you'll deaccelerate enough to have a bearable impact with whatever you hit. I know it was wet out and tracton was scares, but it's clear to me he was going off with a lot of energy to submarine the tractor and lift it off it's wheels. Granted, it had the weight of Sutil's car on the other end, but still. I also think this highlights a need to review the low front nose. I think that was a contributing factor.

I'm not an expert by any means. These are just my observations as a fan who's trying to make sense of what happened like everyone else. I'm just applying what makes sense to me and drawing my conclusions. I'm hoping it turns out differently. I hope something broke on the car... the throttle stuck... whatever.

 

You're right I miss your point.
The crash is the same whether the off is under green or yellow.

 

probably not politically correct right now, but I very much get your point.

I heard they were looking at cotton wool in front of marshmallows ahead of the tire barriers..... And moving the spectators into a different time zone.....

Regards,
Ian

 

You can! Go watch the WEC or Nascar or the BTCC, the DTM and many others.

Couldn't agree more.

Unless of course your team boss initiates the *possibility* of carnage then it's OK.

Sorry, you can't have it both ways.

 

Exactly. What's the point of making F1 like other already existing series. Accept it for what it is or abandon it.

 

I agree. You don't need to fundamentally change what F1 is to fix these sorts of problems.

 

+1

 

Anybody that thinks the Delta Wing is fabulous for a race car I immediately cannot take seriously any more. Sorry.
Pete

 

I can tell you - that open wheels keep drivers in a higher level of respect relative to eachother's machines.

With the F1 venues, I do not see open wheel being much of a problem, and the helmet/support crash structure does a pretty good job. A closed cockpit or wheels, would not have made Bianchi much safer, outside of perhaps if he'd been in an outright NASCAR CUP car.

This was an extremely rare incident, and I don't see the car's needing an entire re-design.

Better perhaps, to change the way the race is controlled to avoid this situation again. Bring out a full course yellow if machinery needs to go around a wall and the field is spread out.

 

When was there last an injury resulting from open wheel contact?

 

Change nothing other than stricter enforcement of slowing down under yellows.
Another disaster that could easily of happened on Sunday was that there were marshals running around inside the fence just before Bianchi went off. At the speed he went off I dread to think what could of happened.

 

+1

It's such a pity that it has taken a serious accident for the FIA to finally do something about drivers paying lip-service to the need to obey the yellow flags and to slow down properly!

 

Well they will slow down for a time.........but therein lies the problem.

Average speed check them, and race ban them if they exceed, for a quick fix.

 

When was there last an injury? (Outside dear Maria)

Phil?

Ian

 

Yep. I'll go with that.

Of course, they can be a lot more accurate than 'average speed' - even we get to see their speed in realtime - occasionally on the tv, all the time in the app. 'Exceed xxKPH and you're done' is something they can understand...... Same as they currently understand they won't get penalized if they're 0.2 seconds slower.


Cheers,
Ian

 

Massa?


He got hit by a flying nut. How does that count?

 

Under certain circumstances drivers stand to gain more by ignoring rules, than they do to lose by obeying them.
There's no system where that works.

 

Sorry, that's what I'm saying - that was the last injury whatsoever (?), I can't even recall an injury as a result of them being open wheeled. A few accidents, but no injuries..... Not for a long time.....

Ian

 

Massa got hit by a suspension spring off Barichello's Braun.

 

It takes an inch either way sometimes to make a difference. One inch or two in the wrong direction and we wouldn't have Alonso to rag on. Remember Grosjean's flying Renault?

 

Yep, sure do..... And I think that they've been 'lucky' for so long now that they got complacent - Even if there was a big shunt the guy walks away!

Maybe, hopefully, they put in some speed limits rather than "0.5 seconds down is ok" that they've got used to.

Regards,
Ian

 

Apparently, Fernando thinks it's worth looking into, at least...


https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/formula-1-alonso-calls-closed-cockpits-rethink-133924540--f1.html