The great cockpit debate; 'discussion' this Friday....

Yes, as it relates to rare accidents in an open cockpit classes of racing for a consenting adults/guardians. I think there are other places motorsports should focus. Karting safety would be chief among them for me based on my limited exposure - to better protect children against death and lifelong pain. There is still work to be done on the safety cells - they are always improving, but that can still be penetrated. They also have found that they need new advances in tools for the composition of the new safety cells to aid in driver extractions. What about track standards? They are not up to par in many places in the US where major series run. Many still have tire walls/concrete at the end of straits with cars carrying tremendous speed. Many tire walls aren't maintained well, etc. Those are all just as important in saving lives.

 

Yes. Power Steering should also go.

Can't compare sprint racing and endurance racing. Put the LMP cars in Monaco in a sprint race and it will be a bumper car bonanza.

 

+1

And who's to say any lives would have been saved? Woulda, Shoulda Coulda, What if.....

 

Yes, there are many areas that need looking into, and cockpit protection is just one of them.

 

I think that power steering in F1 is a by-product of larger tyres.

With the enormous grip afforded by the large slick tyres, I am not sure that the cars could be operated safely by their drivers over the length of a GP (90 mins ?).

 

I don't see how that's true. They drove with massive tires in the 70s, 80s and early 90s with no power steering.

Neither Indycar nor any of its feeders use power steering. They manage although you definitely see drivers more fatigued than after an F1 race these days.

 

I agree it isn't in F1. It is in Indycar - certainly on the ovals.

I'll take more mechanical grip and limited aero all day though; P/S is a detail to me vs the lack of passing, which is an emergency ; )

 

Yup - seems like everyone is saying similar things. Doesn't seem like they are listening yet for 2017 though : (

Plus the upside is the cars will be prettier...probably. Unless they do something unforeseen with their limited elements and the aesthetics get worse! ; )

 

The grip level in the 70s, 80s and 90s was not comparable with the same now.

Not only the compound is different, but there is also an enormous amount of downforce nowadays. I don't think power steering is a luxury or a driver's aid. It's just necessary.

 

What's the current downforce on the cars - do you know?

Limit the downforce; remove power steering ; )

 

No I don't know that. But I suspect it a lot more and ever increasing year after year.

It's not up to me to decide to remove it.

Drivers ask for more downforce, and all the aerodynamicists the teams employ also work in obtaining more downforce.

Consequently power steering is there to stay; it's not exactly hi-tech, is it?

 

I can't find figures that I totally trust either, but Indycar is up to over 5k lbs of downforce on roadcourses supposedly. That is a tremendous amount. It would seem like they would be able to get close to the same amount based on the multi-element wings and all the additional aero they have around the tires etc, but I don't know of course. The indycars also weigh a bit more as well.

It's not a question of high tech. The question is, does the tech remove a challenge that is relevant for determining the best driver in the world?

I was just speaking to an Indy Lights driver last week and he was telling me how his fingers had to be peeled off the wheel after a tough oval race. He, and other experienced drivers had to be helped from their cars. It's pretty amazing to see guys push themselves and the cars that far.