Motor sport is dangerous - McNish crash
Discussion
We’ve seen it often enough in the past, on F1 cars as well as the more susceptible sports cars, but still the McNish accident socked.
Whilst the press – non-specialist anyway – focus on how lucky McNish was not to be injured, I think the real lucky ones were the marshals and photographers.
The accident happened at slowish (comparatively) speeds yet still the car took off. The kitty-litter was all but useless.
The FIA was forced into imposing stringent safety regs on F1 after the deaths of Ratzenberger and Senna at Imola and this has filtered through to most senior formulae. However, time and again we see cars take off.
Can anything be done before someone gets killed?
The safety cells in cars have proved their worth and it is going to need some sort of freakish coincidence for a driver to be killed in an on-circuit accident, but how long before yet another marshal is killed or seriously inured or a member of the public?
We have the best brains in high speed automotive aerodynamics in the sport, so why can’t they design a car that doesn’t fly?
F1 isn’t immune either. Webber’s crash showed us all that.
We are told by all and sundry that the fault lies with the ‘flat’ bottoms of the cars. Could it be that simple to eradicate the risk? Or do they, like last time, wait for a couple of deaths before they do something.
Whilst the press – non-specialist anyway – focus on how lucky McNish was not to be injured, I think the real lucky ones were the marshals and photographers.
The accident happened at slowish (comparatively) speeds yet still the car took off. The kitty-litter was all but useless.
The FIA was forced into imposing stringent safety regs on F1 after the deaths of Ratzenberger and Senna at Imola and this has filtered through to most senior formulae. However, time and again we see cars take off.
Can anything be done before someone gets killed?
The safety cells in cars have proved their worth and it is going to need some sort of freakish coincidence for a driver to be killed in an on-circuit accident, but how long before yet another marshal is killed or seriously inured or a member of the public?
We have the best brains in high speed automotive aerodynamics in the sport, so why can’t they design a car that doesn’t fly?
F1 isn’t immune either. Webber’s crash showed us all that.
We are told by all and sundry that the fault lies with the ‘flat’ bottoms of the cars. Could it be that simple to eradicate the risk? Or do they, like last time, wait for a couple of deaths before they do something.
the issue with this years Le Mans, and the Audi's in particular is that there are two very competitive manufacturers with very little to choose between them and a lot at stake.
It is obvious the Audi drivers have been asked to drive it like a sprint race, going for every gap like you would in F1. Unfortunately it has backfired as the much slower cars who may be used to a more patient approach have got in the way, in most cases unintentionally.
It is a freakish set of circumstances that i can't remember seeing in Le Mans before (although i can only remember from about 1985 on). Most of the time the competition is between one team/manufacturer which brings a more conservative approach, or the new team on the block just isn't quite there in terms of speed or reliability, so there is less pressure for all concerned.
In summary it is a freak set of circumstances.
It is obvious the Audi drivers have been asked to drive it like a sprint race, going for every gap like you would in F1. Unfortunately it has backfired as the much slower cars who may be used to a more patient approach have got in the way, in most cases unintentionally.
It is a freakish set of circumstances that i can't remember seeing in Le Mans before (although i can only remember from about 1985 on). Most of the time the competition is between one team/manufacturer which brings a more conservative approach, or the new team on the block just isn't quite there in terms of speed or reliability, so there is less pressure for all concerned.
In summary it is a freak set of circumstances.
Jerry Can said:
the issue with this years Le Mans, and the Audi's in particular is that there are two very competitive manufacturers with very little to choose between them and a lot at stake.
It is obvious the Audi drivers have been asked to drive it like a sprint race, going for every gap like you would in F1. Unfortunately it has backfired as the much slower cars who may be used to a more patient approach have got in the way, in most cases unintentionally.
It is a freakish set of circumstances that i can't remember seeing in Le Mans before (although i can only remember from about 1985 on). Most of the time the competition is between one team/manufacturer which brings a more conservative approach, or the new team on the block just isn't quite there in terms of speed or reliability, so there is less pressure for all concerned.
In summary it is a freak set of circumstances.
Hmmn. I'm not sure that anyone needs to tell McNish to drive it like a sprint race.It is obvious the Audi drivers have been asked to drive it like a sprint race, going for every gap like you would in F1. Unfortunately it has backfired as the much slower cars who may be used to a more patient approach have got in the way, in most cases unintentionally.
It is a freakish set of circumstances that i can't remember seeing in Le Mans before (although i can only remember from about 1985 on). Most of the time the competition is between one team/manufacturer which brings a more conservative approach, or the new team on the block just isn't quite there in terms of speed or reliability, so there is less pressure for all concerned.
In summary it is a freak set of circumstances.
I don't think it can be dismissed as a freak. We've had cars somersaulting and going over the barriers. Every sports cars race we see cars spinning and going into the air so having no retardation.
Derek Smith said:
Hmmn. I'm not sure that anyone needs to tell McNish to drive it like a sprint race.
I don't think it can be dismissed as a freak. We've had cars somersaulting and going over the barriers. Every sports cars race we see cars spinning and going into the air so having no retardation.
The point is, they don't normally drive it like a sprint, certainly not for the entire 24 hours. Both of the accidents to the Audi's could have been avoided if they weren't under as much competitive pressure. For me the skill this year is to balance full on overtakes with a slightly more patient approach. This has been Audi's downfall. (although they still lead the race)I don't think it can be dismissed as a freak. We've had cars somersaulting and going over the barriers. Every sports cars race we see cars spinning and going into the air so having no retardation.
As for cars somersaulting, it has always been in every discipline including rallying, f1, sports cars, touring cars. There's nothing you can do to stop it.
Jerry Can said:
As for cars somersaulting, it has always been in every discipline including rallying, f1, sports cars, touring cars. There's nothing you can do to stop it.
It's not the bit about them going into the air, it's about acting like an aeroplane. The problem would appear to be - and I know little, I'm only going by what the commentators suggest - the floor design.I've seen recing from the 60s and, on the questionable premise that gravity wasn't stronger in those days, it would seem from memory that they hit the ground a lot quicker and stopped moving fairly rapidly. Most accident wouldn't have made the crash barriers nowdays.
Kerbs seem to act like a ramp for Harriers.
The regs have protected drivers. But just increaing the strength of the survival shell can be seen as counter-productive as all it does is allow higher impact speeds.
I'm not suggesting I know the answer. I'm suggesting I know what might happen if there are not changes.
Personally, i'd say no. Not really. Not a whole lot can be done without blunting the class of racing.
I'm the last one to want to see people hurt but the fact remains that yes, Motorsport IS dangerous. It's why the likes of Guy Martin etc want to push the envelope past stone walls.
Hats off to the marshalls and photographers who are prepared to take the risks, but the risks remain as to a degree, it's the nature of the beast.
I'm the last one to want to see people hurt but the fact remains that yes, Motorsport IS dangerous. It's why the likes of Guy Martin etc want to push the envelope past stone walls.
Hats off to the marshalls and photographers who are prepared to take the risks, but the risks remain as to a degree, it's the nature of the beast.
rdjohn said:
The key safety issue seems to be a lack of debris fencing to protect marshals and photographers. All other safety systems seem to work well.
Shards of carbon fibre will always be a problem, but untethered wheels are the real danger.
The problem with debris fencing for marshals is that it makes it much harder for them to get on to the track if they need to. I'm quite surprised they don't have a little bunker type thing there though.Shards of carbon fibre will always be a problem, but untethered wheels are the real danger.
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