Safety at Monaco

[HustleRussell]

Watching the F1 qualifying and now the GP2 race, I'm struck by how precarious it looks for all concerned when there's a car dangling from a crane with racing continuing under waved yellows.

We saw an F1 historic masters car dropped from ~10 feet recently, thankfully with no marshalls or other cars underneath at the time.

Are we really still doing this? Is this another example where someone is going to have to die before this practice is discontinued?

I sound extreme, I know- I was reading up on Gary Hartstein / Bianci yesterday. Today I am watching the virtual safety car neutralising the GP2 race as a direct result of Bianci.

[Drumroll]

Lifting a modern F1 car up by the roll hoop is not a problem. Think about it, what is the hoop designed to do? The historic F1 was not actually lifted by the hoop AFAIK.

[mikecassie]

Don't they want to stop using JCB's as they did with Bianchi and use cranes so there is no heavy equipment for the cars to run into? If there has been no extra stress applied to the rollover hoop then it's the safest method, the lifting equipment is probably rated for a good % more than the weight of the car too. I'm sure they've done some risk assessments and can justify it that way.
A rule of lifting items is not stand under a suspended load, only approach the load when you can safely reach it without reaching up, so if there is a failure then no one gets hurt. If the car you saw did fall and no one was under the load then the control measures are working.
Can see why you mention it, but the next step is to stop racing and get a recovery truck on the track, which could extend a Monaco GP by a few hrs and BCE won't be having that.

[NRS]

I was thinking this yesterday. As someone who works in the oil industry dropped objects is a huge HSE thing. I know the car should be able to take the load, but if for any reason it was damaged, the car was not attached properly or the crane had an issue it seemed like there was quite a few points there was people under the car while in the air.

[p1esk]

When I started my working life the instruction was never to go underneath anything that was being lifted using a crane, or a lifting beam, or any such device. It seemed like a sensible rule to me, so I don't know why it isn't widely respected.

[DJFish]

Not sure there's a another/better way of removing a stranded car from the Monaco circuit.
And you have to be able to clear the circuit or they wouldn't be able to race.
And you have to have a Monaco GP.

I'm surprised no bits of mangled car haven't dropped off mid-lift before now.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Try watching the pitstops in Indycar if you want to see health & safety risks!

[swisstoni]

I'm sure that the cars are never dangled over punters and that a safe path is available for each crane to deliver the car to the ground.
All the cranes are well back behind Armco so don't represent a danger in themselves.

What I was less impressed with was how a cast iron manhole cover got flipped up in the air during practice and shattered a following car. That could have been awful.

[Eric Mc]

That happened before in a sports car race at Shanghai (I think). I wonder if it is the suction under the car lifting the covers?

[groomi]

What WAS dangerous yesterday was people still clearing the grid while the safety car lead the field through!

[NRS]

groomi said:

What WAS dangerous yesterday was people still clearing the grid while the safety car lead the field through!

They're brave/ crazy there! Between running around under cars being lifted and running around on a very narrow wet track with cars driving around they're certainly putting themselves in a position of risk!

[Vaud]

groomi said:

What WAS dangerous yesterday was people still clearing the grid while the safety car lead the field through!

Team radios were allowed to tell the drivers which side to go. Well trained marshals, and pretty low speeds, but I take your point, some of that debris was a long way into the track for casual recovery.

[groomi]

Vaud said:

groomi said:

What WAS dangerous yesterday was people still clearing the grid while the safety car lead the field through!

Team radios were allowed to tell the drivers which side to go. Well trained marshals, and pretty low speeds, but I take your point, some of that debris was a long way into the track for casual recovery.

No, I mean at the start. As the safety car brought them over the line the first time there were Marshalls or Team members walking through the pit wall gate from the grid.

Haven't seen that since the days of standing at the side for the formation lap.

[Vaud]

groomi said:

No, I mean at the start. As the safety car brought them over the line the first time there were Marshalls or Team members walking through the pit wall gate from the grid.

Haven't seen that since the days of standing at the side for the formation lap.

Ah sorry, that one. Yes, it surprised me as well. Long lap as well. Too much kit, too many people on the grid, or too few exits.

[mycool]

Wouldn't they do the lap under the safety car faster than a traditional warm up lap with all the weaving and brake warm up, plus backing up the field before forming up on the grid, etc - therefore getting back to the start line a lot faster than they would usually?