Monday, 19 September 2011

Robert Kubica Crash: Montreal, Canada 2007


In this case, I think Robert Kubica's survival was down to the astounding safety in Formula 1 today.  The car stayed intact, and protected the vital areas around Kubica's body.  The shock absorbers and numerous roll cages would limit the impact of the crash, which allowed Kubica to escape death and continue racing.

Martin Donnelly Crash: Jerez, Spain 1990


Although we don't see the crash itself, the fact that the impact had ripped the car in 2 halves and thrown Donnelly (still strapped to his seat) across the track shows exactly how severe the accident was.  Fortunately, Donnelly survived.  Was his escape from death due to the track safety, or down to the car? Although it ripped clean in two, was it designed to take as much impact away from Donnelly as possible?

In this case, I believe that the man was lucky to escape with his life.  Saying that, the improvement of spectator safety meant that nobody else was injured or killed.  In the 1960's, I am sure there would have been numerous fatalities in the crowd.

Track Safety

After watching the documentary "Grand Prix - The Killer Years" I decided to research into what Sir Jackie Stewart OBE said about the state of the tracks in the 60s, and what was done to change it.  Tracks set in the forest, such as Spa and Hockenheim, had limited barriers between the track and the trees; nothing was stopping drivers spinning off the track into the deadly woods ahead.
There was also a huge problem with fires, 9 times out of 10 the car would burst into flames after a crash, often fueled by the straw bales that were there to reduce the impact of the crash.  Here is a short timeline highlighting the key events in securing safer tracks in Formula 1:

1970:  Straw Bales are banned.  Double crash barriers introduced, safety distance of 3 metres between fences and spectators. A wall between the pit lane and the track brought in.
1974:  Circuit safety walls become mandatory.  Catchfences + sand introduced.
1977:  Gravel arrester beds defined.
1981:  Tyre barriers introduced, pitlanes given a minimum width of 10m.
1985:  Catchfences banned.
1989:  Adjustments to the minimum requirements of safety walls and pit walls.
1992:  Kerbs lowered, pit lane width extended to 12m.
1994:  27 high risk corners identified, 15 removed.
1996:  High risk corners reduced to 2.

The History of Formula 1 Safety

Taken from the official Formula 1 website.
[2000-]

Notable Updates

1950
The first Formula One race is held at Silverstone in England. The cars were
designed purely for speed, with front engines and drum brakes - a fascinating experience without medical back-up or any form of safety net.

1960
The first safety measures are introduced to Formula One racing.

1961
Roll-overs bars are introduced for the first time.

1963
Flag signals are introduced. Vehicle fire prevention is advanced by improvements in fuel-tank construction. Double brake circuit becomes mandatory. The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) assumes responsibility for safety on racing circuits. Drivers are required to wear fireproof suits and unbreakable, full-visor helmets. Cockpits are restructured to allow the drivers to get out more quickly.

1970 
The FIA introduces circuit inspections before races. Stipulations include double crash barriers, a safety distance of three metres between fences and spectators, as well as a wall between the pit lane and the track.

1974 
Circuit safety walls become mandatory.

1975 
The FIA defines the standard for fireproof clothing. The presence of marshals, a medical service with a centre for resuscitation and compulsory rescue training become mandatory.

1979 
Larger cockpit openings are made compulsory. Niki Lauda, Carlos Reutemann and Mario Andretti compete in overalls made of five layers of fireproof material, as used by NASA, for the first time.

1980 
Permanent medical centres at circuits become compulsory.

1986 
Helicopters must be on stand-by, ready for circuit medical personnel.

1988 
Crash tests for the car’s safety cell and the fuel tank are introduced. The driver’s feet must be behind the front axle. A permanent FIA race director is appointed.

1990 
Larger rear-view mirrors and detachable steering wheels become mandatory. Rescue training for drivers becomes compulsory.

1998 
Car width is reduced from 2 to 1.8 metres. Cockpits are enlarged. A driver must be able to detach the steering wheel, exit the cockpit and reattach the steering wheel, all within ten seconds. Rear-view mirrors must be at least 120x50 millimetres.

Formula 1: Safety Features

Cars today are built to withstand huge amounts of pressure and to keep the driver in the safest position possible.  Here's how:

The obvious safety features are what the drivers themselves wear.  Helmets, fireproof suits and seatbelts are amongst these.  They are also required to wear two shoulder straps, one abdominal strap and two straps around the legs.
Although the driver is securely fastened to his seat, the seat has to be removable in case the driver can not escape from the car when their life is in danger.  The rescue teams have the tools to do this.
The driver has the ability to cut all electrical circuits manually from the cockpit, in the event of a technical fault.
A suitable "safety cell" has to be included in all Formula 1 cars, as well as a shock absorber.  Two roll structures also have to be included in the car to enhance the impact the car can resist.  Testing is also a vital part of the safety of the car, ensuring it is as reliable as possible before human use.

Sunday, 18 September 2011

Ayrton Senna





This illustrates how different the F1 cars from 20 years ago were to today's. Bigger engine, more horsepower, less electronic features and, more importantly, less safety features.

Lewis Hamilton, currently driving the McLaren F1 car, described the car as completely different to the one he's used to driving week in week out. "You can almost punch through the cockpit." This highlights how far safety in Formula 1 has come.

Friday, 16 September 2011

List of Formula 1 Fatalities



NameNationDatePlace
(q)=qualifying
Ayrton SennaBrazilMay 1, 1994San Marino GP
Roland RatzenbergerAustriaApril 30, 1994San Marino GP(q)
Ricardo PalettiItalyJune 13, 1982Canadian GP
Gilles VilleneuveCanadaMay 8, 1982Belgian GP (q)
Ronnie PetersonSwedenSept. 10, 1978Italian GP
Tom PryceBritainMay 5, 1977South African GP
Mark DonahueUnited StatesAug. 19, 1975Austrian GP (q)
Helmuth KoiniggAustriaOctober 6, 1974U.S. GP
Francois CevertFranceOctober 7, 1973U.S. GP (q)
Roger WilliamsonBritainJuly 29, 1973Dutch GP
Jochen RindtAustriaSept. 5, 1970Italian GP (q)
Piers CourageBritainJune 7, 1970Dutch GP
Gerhard MitterWest-GermanyAugust 2, 1969German GP (q)
Jo SchlesserFranceJuly 7, 1968French GP
Lorenzo BandiniItalyMay 10, 1967Monaco GP
John TaylorBritainAugust 7, 1966German GP
Carel Godin de BeaufortNetherlandsAugust 2 1964German GP (q)
Wolfgang Von TripsWest-GermanySept. 10, 1961Italian GP
Chris BristowBritainJune 19, 1960Belgian GP
Alan StaceyBritainJune 19, 1960Belgian GP
Stuart Lewis-EvansBritainSept. 19, 1958Moroccan GP
Peter CollinsBritainAugust 3, 1958German GP
Luigi MussoItalyJuly 6, 1958French GP
Onofre MarimonArgentinaJuly 31, 1954German GP (q)