F1 Fanatic

The FIA has tested a front-mounted roll hoop in an effort to improve safety in single-seater racing cars.

The video above shows a test of a roll hoop mounted in front of a driver’s helmet to protect them from objects striking the front of the car.

A trial was commissioned in response to the accidents including that which claimed the life of Henry Surtees in Formula Two in 2009, and Felipe Massa’s injuries in the Hungarian Grand Prix the same year.

In the test, a wheel and tyre assembly weighing 20kg was fired at the roll hoop, supplied by Lotus, to test how well it could protect the driver from such debris.

FIA institute technical adviser Andy Mellor told the FIA’s IQ magazine: “The roll-hoop basically did a very good job. It was able to keep a wheel away from the driver’s head.

“We tested it both by firing the wheel down the centre of the car, and also coming at it from an angle.”

Mellor added: “At this stage it’s almost pure research, which we need if we’re to understand what the loads are in such impacts. We’re not at all looking at final solutions as such.”

The Formula One Working Group will consider the outcomes of the test. Maintaining good visibility would be an obvious problem with such a solution.

The FIA previously tested jet fighter-style canopy for the same purpose.

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