F1 to introduce 'halo' device

[CaptainSensib1e]

As per this news story:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formul...

Is it just me, or is having something direclty in your line of sight going to be massively distracting for drivers, and potentially a safety hazard. I can't be the only one thinking this?

[kambites]

Since it'll be so far from their focal point and never blocking both eyes at once, I think the brain will just edit it out.

I'd imagine more of a concern is that it'll remove their depth perception from two points just off the straight-ahead, which will be pretty much on the apex of some of the higher speed corners lie as they turn in. It'll certain add a new challenge.

[DanielSan]

Can't see how that would've prevented wither Marussia drivers deaths or Massa's injury to be honest.

All the drivers know the risk when they get in the car and choose to accept it. This nothing more than a poorly thought out reaction.

[//j17]

Welcome to "design by committee"!

Bod 1: "Some people think F1 is unnecessarily with open cockpits and think they should be closed to increase driver safety."
Bod 2: "Some people think open cockpits are an escential part of the F1 formula."
Bod 3: "How about we have closed cockpits but leave the glass out so they're still open! Everyone will be happy (even though it does nothing for safety)."

[FourWheelDrift]

I don't see what's wrong with something like this, protection at the front, good visibility and not enclosed to they can get in and out quickly.

I'm sure the material technology is around for clear vision and toughness.

[BarbaricAvatar]

FourWheelDrift said:

I don't see what's wrong with something like this, protection at the front, good visibility and not enclosed to they can get in and out quickly.

I'm sure the material technology is around for clear vision and toughness.

Strength is not the issue. The problem with any kind of canopy is it potentially accelerates the object hitting it which immediately puts the spectators in danger.

[RoadRunner220]

DanielSan said:

Can't see how that would've prevented wither Marussia drivers deaths or Massa's injury to be honest.

It wouldn't.

But it may have prevented the deaths of Justin Wilson and Henry Surtees.

Like others have said, it's whether it'll affect the drivers vision or not, but I'll wait and see what drivers say about it when they've had chance to drive the car with it in place.

Also, I assume it'll be removable in the event of an accident so that the marshals/emergency teams won't be hindered should they need to be able to extract the driver from the car.

[stemll]

RoadRunner220 said:

Also, I assume it'll be removable in the event of an accident so that the marshals/emergency teams won't be hindered should they need to be able to extract the driver from the car.

If it's removable then surely that would weaken it too much

[Gillett66]

RoadRunner220 said:

DanielSan said:

Can't see how that would've prevented wither Marussia drivers deaths or Massa's injury to be honest.

It wouldn't.

But it may have prevented the deaths of Justin Wilson and Henry Surtees.

Like others have said, it's whether it'll affect the drivers vision or not, but I'll wait and see what drivers say about it when they've had chance to drive the car with it in place.

Also, I assume it'll be removable in the event of an accident so that the marshals/emergency teams won't be hindered should they need to be able to extract the driver from the car.

Neither of which were driving an F1 car at the time, so unless all open wheel, open cockpit series adopt this attitude it's very unlikely to help anyone.

Classic case of poorly thought out, knee jerk reaction to a freak accident.

[anonymous-user]

Gillett66 said:

RoadRunner220 said:

DanielSan said:

Can't see how that would've prevented wither Marussia drivers deaths or Massa's injury to be honest.

It wouldn't.

But it may have prevented the deaths of Justin Wilson and Henry Surtees.

Like others have said, it's whether it'll affect the drivers vision or not, but I'll wait and see what drivers say about it when they've had chance to drive the car with it in place.

Also, I assume it'll be removable in the event of an accident so that the marshals/emergency teams won't be hindered should they need to be able to extract the driver from the car.

Neither of which were driving an F1 car at the time, so unless all open wheel, open cockpit series adopt this attitude it's very unlikely to help anyone.

Classic case of poorly thought out, knee jerk reaction to a freak accident.

But if it's believed to work in F1, or at least not be detrimental, then it'll soon be mandated in other FIA single seaters, just like wheel tethers, HANS, impact absorbing body parts etc.

The Americans will catch up eventually.

Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 7th February 00:35

[Gareth1974]

I don't think there's "holy grail" solution which offers protection from every conceivable type of incident (i.e. small components like the Massa spring AND large items such as the Surtees wheel) AND also doesn't look awful (and impede a quick exit from an overturned/burning car), but ever since this type of solution was raised, I've thought that two strong uprights at the front of the cockpit which are higher than the top of the driver's head, and were designed to incorporate mirrors - removing the need for these to be separately fitted - would not look too objectionable, and would help in many scenarios - probably as many as the proposed "Halo".

[Eric Mc]

The road to turning F1 cars into dramatically unpleasant looking vehicles progresses apace. Watch the cars turn into pig ugly monstrosities, and watch the fans continue to drift away.

[24lemons]

Gillett66 said:

Neither of which were driving an F1 car at the time, so unless all open wheel, open cockpit series adopt this attitude it's very unlikely to help anyone.

Classic case of poorly thought out, knee jerk reaction to a freak accident.

F1 has the money and profile to pioneer new safety technology which will benefit lower lower levels of the sport if it is found to work. Look at how common raised cockpit sides, wheel tethers and hans devices are now.

I wouldnt call it knee jerk either since the Massa and Surtees incidents happened in 2009 and since then there have been multiple head injuries in open cockpit cars. Plenty of time has passed and open wheel drivers are still suffering head injuries. It's not just a one off freak occurrence.

[longshot]

It won't happen.

It would protect the driver more but wouldn't fully protect them and as a driver I would have massive issue with it hindering my escape from the car if in less that perfect operating condition and it's potential to harm me in a bad crash.

I wouldn't expect the idea to go away though and we will likely see a version of some sort of driver defence in the next year or so.

It is quite surprising how quickly you can get used to a safety device though( as a spectator). I am horrified now if I see footage of drivers from the time before their heads were protected by the cockpit walls but at the time I hated the idea. I think people saw that as a knee jerk reaction to the Loss of Senna.

Edited by longshot on Saturday 6th February 11:11

[DanielSan]

RoadRunner220 said:

DanielSan said:

Can't see how that would've prevented wither Marussia drivers deaths or Massa's injury to be honest.

It wouldn't.

But it may have prevented the deaths of Justin Wilson and Henry Surtees.

Like others have said, it's whether it'll affect the drivers vision or not, but I'll wait and see what drivers say about it when they've had chance to drive the car with it in place.

Also, I assume it'll be removable in the event of an accident so that the marshals/emergency teams won't be hindered should they need to be able to extract the driver from the car.

I genuinely can't see how that one thin strut even made of uber reinforced carbounobtanium would stand the impact of a wheel and tyre at 160,70,80,90,200 mph.

[longshot]

DanielSan said:

I genuinely can't see how that one thin strut even made of uber reinforced carbounobtanium would stand the impact of a wheel and tyre at 160,70,80,90,200 mph.

I suppose it depends on what it is designed to do. It's unlikely to stop it but would be capable of deflecting it and then it becomes someone else's problem.
I have a certain degree of experience with carbon fibre and a 1 inch x 2 inch bar is ludicrously strong.

[gmaz]

FourWheelDrift said:

I don't see what's wrong with something like this, protection at the front, good visibility and not enclosed to they can get in and out quickly.

I'm sure the material technology is around for clear vision and toughness.

It would get filthy from oil, tyre debris, water so would need a tear-off type layer.

[The Moose]

gmaz said:

FourWheelDrift said:

I don't see what's wrong with something like this, protection at the front, good visibility and not enclosed to they can get in and out quickly.

I'm sure the material technology is around for clear vision and toughness.

It would get filthy from oil, tyre debris, water so would need a tear-off type layer.

Man with a squeegee at the pit stops!

[Eric Mc]

PW said:

Eric Mc said:

watch the fans continue to drift away.

Would be great if all the "fans" who hate F1 and do nothing but complain about how every single thing that happens in the sport ruins it would actually drift away, instead of making these empty promises.

I certainly don't hate F1. I am just filled with despair at the way it is gradually being destroyed by those tasked with looking after it.

Anyway, it's not really a prediction. It's more a state of fact.


I think what the cars look like is one of the appeals of the activity. I certainly fell in love with F1 cars partly because of the sheer beauty of cars like the Lotus 25 or the Shark Nose Ferrari.

I wonder if the aesthetics of future cars will be more likely to draw or repel?

[24lemons]

Eric Mc said:

I think what the cars look like is one of the appeals of the activity. I certainly fell in love with F1 cars partly because of the sheer beauty of cars like the Lotus 25 or the Shark Nose Ferrari.

I wonder if the aesthetics of future cars will be more likely to draw or repel?

And by the same token many will argue that the sound is as important to the appeal of the sport as anything else, yet there are those who will try to tell you that the sport is no worse off for the lack of noise.

As far as looks go, there have been many visually offensive designs over the years, tower wings, cock noses, and even the awkward proportions brought in for 2009. The halo isn't the ugliest appendage I've seen on an f1 car, not by a long way.

The bottom line for me is that not an insignificant number of drivers have been injured or killed due to head injuries and it it right and responsible to try and reduce those where possible.