No sport is worth any loss of life.

Guess he figures no one can see if they aren’t paying. You’d think, just this once, but no.

http://video.gazzetta.it/?vxSiteId=f89d11d6-1424-420d-8ebb-23904200f68a&vxChannel=Formula1&vxClipId=2570_fac2ba62-79bc-11de-a44a-00144f02aabc&vxBitrate=300

Formula 1 officianados frequently knock the IRL series, but could definitely learn from them regarding emergency medical response. They have a dedicated crew that travels to every race. Those guys frequently are at the car before the dust settles, before even the corner workers can get to the car. Absolutely outstanding work.

I believe F1 medical response needs some tweaking, for certain. “Medical Car”. That’s all very “gentleman racer” and all that, old boy–but I want an AMBULANCE if I crash !

You’ve made an important observation, DC. One can only hope that FiA reads and pays attention to Keith’s blog–perhaps they’ll get something right, for a change!

The have excellent doctors in Budapest.

we’ve seen drivers’ helmets and cars hit by debris, stones, birds, tyres and others. If drivers are now at more danger from that sort of thing

You are quite right, in recent memory, drivers have had all manner of things joining them in the cockpit. I know several drivers in other open wheel series that have complained of this.Though nothing like Surtees or Massa, of course. And thankfully.

In the old days, drivers were much more exposed, and in truth I believe the incident of objects striking the helmet was lower. Can’t recall Stirling Moss or Fangio ever being hit by anything really substantial, and they were FAR more exposed than today’s drivers.

After Senna’s death, over the years we have seen the cockpit get ever deeper, covering more of the driver’s body, and , was it last year? – recently, the bolsters to the side were raised, for better protection of the side of the helmet.

I submit to you, the very precautions undertaken to protect the divers are actually contributing to a rise in incident of debris striking drivers.

Aerodynamics. There is a “suck zone”, the area of lower pressure created just near a car’s body, as the air flows over it. And airflow, by body design, is directed in certain ways by the shape of the body. Currently, the suck zone is about eye-level to the driver. Any debris kicked up high enough to reach the upper side of the body is going to follow the ambient airflow right into the cockpit, and consequently, the driver’s face/head.

If you could see the way the smoke flows over a car in a wind tunnel, you’d know immediately what I’m getting at. Perhaps you do know.

So, a solution. Wouldn’t really take anything terribly strong, just something to screw up the airflow just before reaching the driver. Rather the way a rear diffuser makes dirty air to the following car. Disrupt the smooth airflow, you lose the suck zone in that small area, and debris and trash don’t fly into the drivers face. Or, a higher windscreen. Might even work better, takes the airflow above the driver’s head.

Now, of course, this won’t stop heavy things like tires, or may not have had any effect on that spring that got Massa, but it certainly would cut out the smaller stuff.

AS to the unfortunate incidents concerning Felipe and young Surtees, I’m of the opinion that they could really be called “freak” accidents, based on the circumstances. Something like it may not happen again for 20 years. Or, hopefully, never.