Haven't Enough Drivers Been Injured?

"Newsboy" (Newsboy) 10/09/2014 at 13:05 • Filed to: None

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Why hasn't F1 gone to enclosed cockpits already? This video should be all the proof anyone needs that it's the right thing to do.

Update: Video below, here's a screencap. The canopy shrugs off an F1 tire/wheel without breaking.

scoob > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 13:10

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What if the car flips? F1 cars don't have doors. If they did, they might as well become LMP cars lol.

Frosted > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 13:13

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So this but with no fenders?

Newsboy > scoob 10/09/2014 at 13:16

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What happens today if the car flips? The driver becomes trapped. There are technical answers to these issues, including explosive bolts (as used on the SLS AMG...which btw is the F1 safety car), external latches, internal latches, rollover sensors; I'm confident the FIA and the F1 working group could come up with a system or systems to allow the canopy to be quickly removed in an accident.

I'm an F1 diehard. I get that they've been open cockpit cars for decades. I'm not suggesting we turn F1 into a sprint race version of the World Endurance Championship.

Put all of that nostalgia aside though. F1 cars are going 200+ mph with nothing more than a foam lined carbon fiber shell and a thin strip of polycarbonate to protect the driver's head, and even less protection on the torso. That's unacceptable, with the technology that's available today.

Newsboy > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 13:16

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Do it for him:

Newsboy > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 13:18

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And for her:

Newsboy > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 13:19

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And for him:

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 13:19

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I wonder if it's mainly due to egress issues. Fighter jets use explosives to jettison the canopy if it doesn't operate properly. You'd have to incorporate some extra features to it, but I think it's a solid idea.

Newsboy > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 13:27

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Thom Pryce, Piers Courage, Alan Stacey...how many more?

Newsboy > Frosted 10/09/2014 at 13:28

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Yes. Absolutely yes.

Sweet Trav > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 13:28

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Nope.

Not going to hear this argument. you knew the risks, you chose to drive.

There are inherent dangers to Motorsport. Yes, I feel bad for their families, and it's clear that many people have had their lives and careers cut short by an accident. However, every single one of them had the opportunity to forfeit the race and not participate, but they chose to put themselves in a vulnerable position for a whole fucking shit-ton of money.

That's what sports are, sacrificing your body for obscene amounts of money.

Forgetful > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 13:29

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Hinchcliffe too. He faired a lot better, but it was close to being a lot worse.

Newsboy > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole 10/09/2014 at 13:30

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Know what else uses explosive bolts if it rolls over? This:

ttyymmnn > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 13:50

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When you see how the top of Bianchi's car was basically sheared off as it passed under the crane, you can imagine how having all that kevlar/plexiglass/carbon fibre hitting him in the face would likely have made his injury even worse, if that's possible. And those tests in the video saw mixed results at best. I think the cheaper and ultimately best solution is to review the use of machinery on track to clear cars. Frankly, I'm surprised something like this hasn't happened before.

450X_FTW > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 13:57

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Nevermind the safety of F1 cars, where can I get one of those tire shooting cannons!?

quarterlifecrisis > Sweet Trav 10/09/2014 at 13:57

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I cannot possibly agree more with this.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 14:04

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For debris in the case of Felipe Massa a canopy would help. For María de Villota and Jules Bianchi it wouldn't have helped.

Think of a canopy as safety glasses. They are very effective at limiting damage from high velocity low mass collisions, but once you get into a high mass collision they are essentially useless. As an example, safety glasses will protect your eyes in the case of getting hit by bugs while driving a motorcycle, but they are useless if someone hits you with a baseball bat.

Racescort666 > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 14:05

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I was looking for this video after I heard about the latest accident.

Newsboy > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 10/09/2014 at 14:36

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True, but it could be the difference between living with an injury, and death.

Newsboy > Newsboy 10/09/2014 at 14:44

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Here's some examples of what closed cockpits might look like:

ttyymmnn > Newsboy 05/15/2015 at 16:59

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I really don’t see how a canopy would have helped Maria or Max. It just would have just meant more material being shoved into their heads. Both of those crashes were worst-case scenarios. I would be in favor of some sort of protective windscreen, but I still think that a full-on canopy is a bad idea. It would look cool, though.

NJAnon > Newsboy 08/21/2016 at 16:32

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I don’t know how much testing & $$$ Formula 1 is willing to put into it. At least for any immediate change. Yeah I know they are considering many changes for the future, but drivers may have become accustomed to the cars like they are. If for nothing else, visibility are what racers may get fickle about. They would say “occupational hazard” when springs and bits off cars are flying around.

Now, running into a tractor way off the track, I don’t know what to tell you...