Alonso's Crash through a Photog's Lens

According to reports, Alonso suffered a "small pneumothorax" and rib fracture.

nowhere does it specify which rib.

My speculation:
The risk relates to the existing rib fracture. In the static state on CT would show a non displaced #. However if there are loads/gforces that push on the chest wall the non displaced fracture with the sharp jagged edge can push back in towards the lung causing another pneumothorax. Most are self limiting, but during a race risk is of a tension pneumo.

Safest to sit it out, cheer the team on the sidelines.

FS

 

Left side.

Alonso will stay in Bahrain and help Van Doorne out. Doubt he's looking at an excuse to leave the team...he'd have to find something more convincing than a fractured rib!

 

How can you say that for sure? You put a piece of carbon fiber in front of the face of the driver and it can't break off in a accident?

Jules was a victim of poor track organization and bad lighting because of the weather and the TV schedule to get the maximum viewership in Europe. That is the first place they should look at to avoid further tragic accidents.

I'm not against safety. I'm not even against Halo. I'm just not convinced that it will cause more problems than its supposed to prevent.

 

I believe, but may be wrong, it's steel wrapped in cf. Could it be broken off? Possibly, but the guy's already in a world of trouble in that scenario whether it's there or not.

I kind of agree - all major sports pander to the mighty TV God. But short of 'going Nascar' & not running in the wet (& hence 'dark') what should they do? Wet races are generally considered some of the best after all; "Hilights the drivers skill", blah, blah. Can't have it both ways.....

+1

Thinking about Freds recent shunt, I could envisage the thing getting bent back and hence preventing him climbing out the way he did.

He *certainly* wouldn't have got out (alone) if the closed cockpit advocates had had their way..... Just sayin'.....

Cheers,
Ian

 

Negative, Jules was a victim of his poor judgement and driving faster than the conditions warranted.

 

Again, making an assumption, you don't know.

And exactly, the likely-hood of being trapped in the car is far greater because now instead of having an open area to climb out of, they now have to climb up and out of a much smaller space.

 

I read somewhere (sorry, don't have a link to hand just now) that Button said getting out of the car quickly wasn't a major consideration in Alonso's Melbourne crash. He argued that, had a halo device been fitted to the car, the Marshalls would have just tipped the car back over and it would only be a few seconds worth of difference overall.

For my own thoughts, while we've seen cars on fire due to engine failures under load or battery fires, I can't remember the last time a car burst into flames specifically because of a collision. I think the fuel cut-offs and safer fuel tanks have effectively minimized collision-induced fire risk. Marshalls are also better equipped and better trained than they've ever been before, which again makes me think think that a driver struggling while trapped in a burning car isn't very likely.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Only if the thing 'bends' back over his head - which I could envisage. Charlie's rule about being being able to get them out, still in their seat, continues to apply.

I've also noticed we haven't heard much on this from the closed cockpit advocates......

Cheers,
Ian

 

Actually, in this instance, I reckon a halo may have even helped.... It would add additional 'support' forward giving him a bigger 'hole' to escape thru.

I deliberately didn't mention fire risk for that reason....

Cheers,
Ian

 

Yeah, sorry, that second part wasn't really in reply to your post but just something I was thinking about while reading the rest of the thread. My bad.

All the best,
Andrew.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

Part of Alonso's statement in the press conference today, when asked specifically about his injuries:

"...The pneumothorax is gone more or less but I have some rib fractures, so because of that there are the risks of driving, because Formula One is a very unique sport, a unique position on the car, and the G-Forces that a fracture could move into the lung as well, so yeah, it’s not like a broken leg or broken arm, that you can deal with the pain, this is in the chest where some organs are there and we cannot do much more."

 

Rib fracture, and it was even a consideration that he could possibly race this weekend?? My guess is he's out for China as well.

 

I'm certainly no doc, & haven't ever suffered a broken rib. But I've bruised 'em a few times & goodness, it's painful. I know a few folks that have broken 'em & by all accounts it's one of the most miserable injuries you can suffer - Even breathing, let alone coughing hurts.

We'd of course try to make them laugh, as that's even more painful!

Cheers,
Ian

 

There are different versions of close cockpits.

Most of the detractors think only of the jet fighter canopy type which is one piece. Difficult to extract a driver with one of those.

A LMP-type roof would have side exits and removable panels.

If it's good for Le Mans, I am sure it would be good for F1 too.

In any case, I would be happy with a Ferrari-type or a RedBull halo as a compromise.

 

I've gotten a fracture on my foot before, required a boot brace for several weeks. Walking and going up stairs became a chore. I've also gone down on a bike while carving canyons. Didn't break anything and was able to walk away from that, but damn, did I wake up so sore the next day, hurt just to move. I guess those that say he could still race have never broken or fractured any bones before or been in an accident before.

 

I have broken them after I crashed my quad and it's indeed not a laugh. Especially when your mates are trying their very best to make you laugh .

 

Isn't that what mates are for?

Cheers,
Ian

 

Strange that MotoGP riders keep on racing just a few days after breaking bones, but F1 drivers cannot.
Some bike racers have competed a week after an accident with a scaphoid, or a collarbone, or even a leg broken. Some even after a finger or a toe amputation!!

These days, there is surgery to reduce fracture, and pin bones, and pain killer treatment to make the trauma bearable. Some riders receive injection just before a race. See Mick Doohan, Barry Sheene, Eddie Lawson or Kenny Roberts for example. Injuries hardly ever sidelined them! For them, competing meant everything.

I cannot believe that a broken rib if detected in time can prevent someone driving 2 weeks later. Depending on the break, a rib can be repaired with a surgical stapple to stabilise it, which will be removed later. That and a tight bandage, and some pain killer should do the trick. I am sure that being paid $millions a year, a GP driver can easily afford the best traumatologue surgeons on the planet.

This is why I smell a rat here ...

 

Football players play with fractured ribs all the time. They would have likely put a kevlar-type brace around his ribs.

But I would imagine as tight as the belts need to be it would have caused too much pain and potentially prolonged the problem.

 

I'm pretty sure that's a reflection of the gravel on his visor.

In 2000 David Coulthard raced with three broken ribs just four days after being in a plane crash: David Coulthard: I’ve stared death in the face but I'm not fazed | Daily Mail Online

 

Just remember that an F1 car experiences substantially more G forces in turns and the drivers are basically bolted into the car. I feel like if anything happens at all someone finds a alternative motive...

 

Yeah, of course they do ...

Call me cynical, but I think there may be more than meet the eyes in this turn of event...

 

Please give us the wealth of your experience of driving a modern F1 car that proves F1 drivers do not experience significant G forces whilst racing then!

Under braking and whilst going through high speed corners, F1 drivers are subjected to G forces up to 5G.

MotoGP rider's are subjected to @ 2G max.

 

i would think 2G is pushing it, braking would be the highest and 1-1.5 would be typical... also its much different as there bodies move with the turn as opposed to F1 where they are perpendicular...

 

If that! Maybe under acceleration or braking, but not round a corner like 130r for example.

Not trying to take anything away from the MotoGP guys - big balls for sure - But they're just *so* slow thru the turns compared to cars. Simple physics related to the contact patch means it's so.

Cheers,
Ian