Official 2023 Australian Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS***
Poll: Official 2023 Australian Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS***
Total Members Polled: 170
Discussion
500TORQUES said:
Sandpit Steve said:
In the ‘70s cars, the driver’s ankles were the front crash structure! It’s only relatively recently (after Schumacher’s crash at Silverstone?) that the pedal box has been required to be behind the front axle, and the car pass a head-on crash test.
F1 was making strides for driver safety well before most people think. With the cooling radiators up front, the radiator structure and it's mounts provide a not insignificant crushable structure, it was the rest of the tubular chassis that tended to fold up around the driver and trap them in the car. The introduction of monocoque construction improved that issue significantly. You then had the water radiators move to the rear sides of the chassis, on some cars oil coolers took there place up front, but that didn't last long and you ended up with a simple frame up front just to carry the bodywork panel, just strong enough to handle the downforce those panels generated. This was where the foot area became more vulnerable and rule makers started to introduce rules to strengthen the protection at that point. Introduced for 1976
"A substantial structure will extend in front of the pedals."
That didn't mean much and was pretty well ignored, so they mandated a load figure for the following year.
Introduced for 1977
"Structure of protection for the pedals : There wiil be in front of the pedals a structure capable to withstand a 25 g deceleration with out causing the pedals to move backwards by more than 150 mm (car with full tanks and driver aboard).
They achieved this by making a secondary front bulkhead with internal gusset structures between the two bulkheads, which would provide a crush structure and extra strength from the box section geometry.
Introduced for 1980
"All cars must have a substantial structure to protect the driver's feet which is capable of withstanding a compression load of 25w applied to the front of
the car without allowing the pedals to move rearwards more than 15 cm when the car is racing weight (w).
Each year they increased the frontal crash protection, 1981 brought in much higher safety standards with honeycomb crash structures ahead of the drivers feet. One of the better versions of this was on the Tyrrell 011, where Maurice Phillippe added a lot of honeycomb in a nose box and all the way up to the steering bulkhead. That car is built like a tank for a pre carbon car, with honeycomb side panels all the way front to rear and multiple billet aluminium bulkheads. For the last two made they fitted a carbon fibre floor instead of aluminium skins.
1985 was when they started to crash test the frontal impact structures.
1988 was when the pedals couldn't be in front of the front axle line, 11 years before Schumacher broke his leg.
P1 about to start, who’s got up early and who’s not yet been to bed?
Petrus1983 said:
Sandpit Steve said:
Thanks for that one!
P1 about to start, who’s got up early and who’s not yet been to bed?
I’m watching - went to bed at 10pm - showing my age as I used to watch the Oz stuff after coming in fromP1 about to start, who’s got up early and who’s not yet been to bed?
a night out!
I’m in a better time zone than most - it’s now 05:30 in the sandpit, with the race at 9am. 02:30 is marginal as to whether you just stay up or get an early night!
Sandpit Steve said:
I’m in a better time zone than most - it’s now 05:30 in the sandpit, with the race at 9am. 02:30 is marginal as to whether you just stay up or get an early night!
RB 1st and 2nd and they didn’t even seem to try hard.
Petrus1983 said:
It’s not marginal anymore - sadly. Could imagine me now dribbling my way through the parade lap just to wake up on the sofa with the podium ceremony in front of me
RB 1st and 2nd and they didn’t even seem to try hard.
Lewis trying a little too hard there, a massive tank-slapper. Still 3rd though, but it’s worrying that the two Red Bulls are already at the top of the time sheets. RB 1st and 2nd and they didn’t even seem to try hard.
motomk said:
Petrus1983 said:
That’s v cool. But why did you have to mention F3 - now I’m def not getting anymore sleep - qualifying is on Sky!
F3 is louder than F1 Yes they still have n/a engines. I think the V8 Supercars might be the loudest thing on the track this weekend though!
Deesee said:
Andrew Benson BBC Sport said:
Masi, who is in Melbourne in his new role as a senior official of the Australian Supercars series, which is a support race at the grand prix, was seen embracing Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley in the F1 paddock.
.https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/65121271
WTF..
Sandpit Steve said:
Cool that you’re there @motomk
Yes they still have n/a engines. I think the V8 Supercars might be the loudest thing on the track this weekend though!
Yes they still have n/a engines. I think the V8 Supercars might be the loudest thing on the track this weekend though!
errr, V8s just went by, no, the F3s were louder.
Edited by motomk on Friday 31st March 05:42
Edited by motomk on Friday 31st March 05:48
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