Broken F1 cars
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ooo000ooo

Original Poster:

2,646 posts

223 months

Friday 23rd August 2013
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What happens to all the broken bits when an F1 car crashes? Do the teams come round to collect all the bits or do the marshals get some decent souvenirs?
As a front wing is worth mega bucks I presume those are returned but how big a souvenir could you get home?

joewilliams

2,004 posts

230 months

Friday 23rd August 2013
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I presume a front wing is worth mega-bucks when it's in one piece... smile

Europe

26 posts

169 months

Friday 23rd August 2013
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They take them away and destroy them.. The technology and secrets involved in some of these parts are to great to fall into competitors hands, Don't forget as well the teams want to know if and why parts failed, and the only way they can do that is to look at the parts themselves...

Although some tiny fragments remain that the guys can keep as souvenir's...

Tony2or4

1,283 posts

194 months

Saturday 24th August 2013
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Europe said:
They take them away and destroy them.. The technology and secrets involved in some of these parts are to great to fall into competitors hands
That reminds me of the first-corner multiple crash at last year's Spa caused by Grosjean's brain-fade: Hamilton was one of the victims, and we were all curious as to why he made a very particular point of picking up a large piece of his car (front wing? - I can't remember) and carrying it back to the pits with him.

Streps

2,457 posts

195 months

Saturday 24th August 2013
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Tony2or4 said:
That reminds me of the first-corner multiple crash at last year's Spa caused by Grosjean's brain-fade: Hamilton was one of the victims, and we were all curious as to why he made a very particular point of picking up a large piece of his car (front wing? - I can't remember) and carrying it back to the pits with him.
I imagine the teams use some interesting carbon fiber weave techniques to get around the FIA flex testing.
They probably would try to keep it hush-hush.
Redbull for instance have been doing all sorts of clever stuff with their nose cones for a few seasons now.

pozi

1,725 posts

216 months

Sunday 25th August 2013
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Europe said:
They take them away and destroy them.. The technology and secrets involved in some of these parts are to great to fall into competitors hands, Don't forget as well the teams want to know if and why parts failed, and the only way they can do that is to look at the parts themselves...

Although some tiny fragments remain that the guys can keep as souvenir's...
This is the idea but you would be amazed at the size of the bits that marshalls "forget" to give back and then somehow appear on eBay.

Crafty_

14,050 posts

229 months

Sunday 25th August 2013
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Depends on the damage.

Major components need to be re-used, engines/gearboxes especially. I suspect that if they possible can they re=use the tubs too.
I expect they check and re-use most components. No need to bin a good front end if the rear gets a whack (e.g. Di Resta today).
I expect quite a few components are re-built frequently anyway (shocks, rack etc).

I assume they are allowed to repair engines / gearboxes provided they only break seals in the presence of FIA staff. E.g. lets say the casing on Di Resta's gearbox is damaged due to the accident, I assume they can put the guts in a new casing with a FIA guy present when they break the seals ?

I know that they are allowed to replace certain components on cars between qualifying and race (when the cars are meant to be in parc ferme) if they can prove there is a problem.

They will want as much of the cars back as they can to keep them out of the hands of rivals.

valais

59,228 posts

184 months

Sunday 25th August 2013
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Fragments, along with marbles are easily collectable from the tracks that allow post race walks... e.g. Monza. Though there are only so many tyre marbles and tiny carbon fragments that you can own.