The Official 2016 Russian Grand Prix Thread **Spoilers**

[Arklight]

Even though it is designed around the current cockpits rather than integrated with them it doesn't look too bad.

[suffolk009]

It doesn't look good. But it looks better than the Halo.

[FourWheelDrift]

It's a giant helmet visor.

[kambites]

em177 said:

kambites said:

I suppose the question will be how well it deals with glare when driving into the sun once it's thoroughly bug/oil/whatever splattered at the end of a race.

I think there's more than enough experience in prototypes for that not to be an issue

LMP cars have windscreen wipers, do they not? I suppose they might go down that path.

[kambites]

scubadude said:

Having said that, unless they have Massa in the back of a pickup hurling springs at the drivers face we won't truly know the benefit...

I suppose the impact resistance can easily be tested under laboratory conditions. The purpose of this test will be to see whether it's viable from a visibility point of view.

[leglessAlex]

I like it, and I reckon it'd look much better if it was a part of the design from day one and they could integrate it properly and more smoothly.

[rdjohn]

It makes more sense than the Halo, but they are a both solution to a problem that, in reality, is a very small risk in F1. It may have significantly reduced the Massa injury, but then so would a £0.1p cable-tie tethering the spring

The notion of open-cockpit racing will be lost

[Doink]

Couldn't help but notice there wasn't any on track footage of the RB screen, much rather show cars being pushed back into their garages, being a FOM feed I take it from this Bernie's not to fond of the idea?

[rscott]

So Red Bull don't have any solutions to the problem which caused FIA to discount the idea of a screen - how to keep it clean.
They've suggested tear offs or a RainX type coating but don't even seem to have tested any of these options.

[Doink]

I honestly don't understand this argument on keeping it clean, they seem to manage alright in WEC

[2fast748]

Looks like an NHS head protector (this joke may go over younger people's heads, no pun intended!)

[rscott]

Doink said:

I honestly don't understand this argument on keeping it clean, they seem to manage alright in WEC

WEC use wipers - these would need a different shape screen plus reworking the cockpit area to incorporate the motor unit.

[Doink]

rscott said:

WEC use wipers - these would need a different shape screen plus reworking the cockpit area to incorporate the motor unit.

And!

This is formula 1, they can make anything! On the full canopy Charlie whiting said the F1 will have to break with tradition when it comes to looks, the argument that it's an open wheel/open cockpit formula carries no weight anymore!

OK dirty screen, my solutions

1/ Clean them during pitstops, extend Pitstop times by having one wheel gun and one man per side this gives plenty of time to clean the screen

2/ Tear offs, again these can be pulled off in the current pitstop

3/ Super hydrophobic coatings

4/ Wipers

[RobGT81]

WEC cope for 24 hours with wipers, tear offs and a sponge.

[rscott]

Red Bull say they need a decision by the FIA within a month as to whether it's halo or canopy.
Yet RB have been working on it for months yet haven't done any impact testing or work on systems to keep it clean. Anyone would think they were just trying to stir things up.....

[Mini1275]

2fast748 said:

Looks like an NHS head protector (this joke may go over younger people's heads, no pun intended!)

Jesus Christ.

[London424]

Pretty cool vid of the testing of it

https://twitter.com/redbullracing/status/725950735...

[N0ddie]

rscott said:

Red Bull say they need a decision by the FIA within a month as to whether it's halo or canopy.
Yet RB have been working on it for months yet haven't done any impact testing or work on systems to keep it clean. Anyone would think they were just trying to stir things up.....

The FIA have tested this windscreen solution by firing a wheel and tyre at it at speed and its integrity wasnt compromised.

On the WEC and their wipers setup. I'm sure I've read that the wipers on they cars are a waste of time and driver have to tell themselves again and again not to use them as they merely make a mess of the windscreen ie. cause the fluids/water/other stuff to smear a nice big mess making visibility much worse.

Their solution is to just let it run off, which it does nicely at anything more than a crawl.

[patmahe]

If its a choice between the halo and this, I choose this, neither is going to look elegant after just seeing a helmet bobbing about in the cockpit for years, but at least this seems to offer the most protection to the drivers head in the widest variety of circumstances. Until something better is proposed I think this is what is needed. I don't think the sport can do nothing anymore, the head is obviously still quite vulnerable sitting in the airflow.

I fully accept the argument that they all know the dangers but why not mitigate those dangers where possible and reasonably practical

[PhillipM]

Doink said:

OK dirty screen, my solutions

1/ Clean them during pitstops, extend Pitstop times by having one wheel gun and one man per side this gives plenty of time to clean the screen

2/ Tear offs, again these can be pulled off in the current pitstop

3/ Super hydrophobic coatings

4/ Wipers

Okay, car in front goes off the track slightly, puts the edge of a rear wheel on the mud/gravel/grass, covers your screen.

So now, you have to slow down and pit?

If you're fitting wipers you may as well abandon F1 and just buy in some LMP cars and race them.